The auction of 5G spectrum with 72 GHz of airwaves across 10 bands worth Rs 4.3 trillion will commence today i.e. July 26, 2022. The spectrum auctions offer low-band airwaves (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz), mid-band, or C-band airwaves (3.3-3.67 GHz) and high band airwaves (26 GHz).
In a recent move, the government scrapped the spectrum usage charges (SUC) from the 5G spectrum auctions, besides easing payment terms to spur bidding.
According to data released by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) have submitted earnest money deposits (EMDs) of Rs 140 billion, Rs 55 billion and Rs 22 billion, respectively, to participate in the upcoming 5G spectrum auction. Meanwhile, Adani Data Networks has submitted an EMD of Rs 1 billion. To this end, Jio with the highest deposits has collected 159,830 eligibility points, while Airtel has been allocated 66,330 points, followed by Vi and Adani Data Networks with 29,370 and 1,650 points, respectively. With the current points tally, all four players can bid for any band in any licensed service area (LSA), depending on the spectrum cap.