The Indian government completed its second 5G spectrum auction, generating around US$ 1.35 billion (Rs. 11,300 crore) through 7 rounds held over slightly more than a day. Bharti Airtel emerged as the primary bidder, focusing its investments on acquiring spectrum in crucial bands such as the sub-GHz 900 MHz, alongside the 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands. In contrast, Reliance Jio’s participation was more conservative, concentrating mainly on the 1800 MHz band to enhance its existing 4G and future 5G network capacities. Vodafone Idea (Vi) also secured spectrum across multiple bands, aligning its acquisitions with renewal requirements and strategic enhancements in specific telecom circles.
Both Bharti Airtel and Vi strategically targeted circles where their current licenses are set to expire this year, aiming to consolidate their market positions and bolster their infrastructure capabilities. Airtel notably augmented its holdings in the sub-GHz spectrum, particularly in the 900 MHz range, indicating its intentions to expand nationwide 5G coverage and strengthen rural 4G networks. Despite the auction offering 10.5 GHz of 5G airwaves with a reserve price of US$ 11.52 billion (Rs. 96,238.45 crore), the total bids received were in line with earlier expectations. However, the revenue collected fell significantly short of previous records, notably below the record US$ 17.97 billion (Rs. 1,50,173 crore) from the July 2022 5G auction and the US$ 9.31 billion (Rs. 77,814 crore) from the March 2021 4G auction.
