At the first spectrum auction held in India in 5 years, which put up radio wave frequencies worth Rs 4 lakh crore at a total of 2308.80 MHz on sale in seven different bands, bids worth Rs 77,815 crore were registered, according to Telecommunications Secretary Anshu Prakash.
Auction of telecom spectrum concludes, Rs 77,814.80 cr worth airwaves bought in two days: Telecom Secretary
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 2, 2021
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio came up as the biggest buyer in the whole auction, having placed orders worth Rs 57,122.65 crore, said the Telecom Secretary. according to the Press Trust of India (PTI). Bharti Airtel Limited in a regulatory filing informed that it had made purchases of airwaves worth Rs 18,699 crore on the first day of India’s 2021 4G spectrum auction.
Vodafone Idea was the smallest buyer in the whole auction. PTI in a tweet stated – “Vodafone Idea Ltd buys spectrum worth Rs 1,993.40 cr in auction: Telecom Secretary”
Vodafone Idea Ltd buys spectrum worth Rs 1,993.40 cr in auction: Telecom Secretary
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 2, 2021
Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, on the first day of the auction, said that the auctions had proved to be successful as the Government was only expecting total purchases of Rs 45,000 crore.
All three telecommunication firms were disinterested in the premium airwave frequencies in the 700 and 2500 MHz bands and all the bids that were received were for purchases in 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2300 MHz bands. This reflected that the telecos seek to develop their existing 4G networks before they go on to establish a 5G network in the country.
