India’s 5G Spectrum Auction Hits Rs 11,000 Crore Mark, Bharti Airtel Leads the Charge

New Delhi: In a significant milestone for India’s telecommunications sector, the 5G spectrum auction on Wednesday saw bids surpassing Rs 11,000 crore, with Bharti Airtel leading the charge. The auction, aimed at enhancing the country’s digital infrastructure, witnessed intense competition, particularly for the 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands. With a total of Rs 96,000 crore worth of spectrum up for grabs, the robust demand underscores the industry’s commitment to rolling out advanced 5G services and expanding connectivity across the nation.
While the 900 MHz band received bids worth Rs 6,985 crore, the 1800 Mhz band received bids worth Rs 3,579 crore, according to telecom analyst Parag Kar. In the 2100 MHz band, Airtel was the single bidder at Rs 545 crore and in the 2500 MHz band, Vodafone Idea (VI) was the lone bidder, Kar posted on X social media platform.
The telecom department put over 10,500 Mhz spectrum in eight frequency bands – 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz and 26 GHz. The 5G spectrum auction witnessed participation from three bidders: Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio Infocomm.
According to analysts, the 5G auctions will catalyse the rapid rollout of 5G services across the country, leading to enhanced coverage and vastly improved connectivity.
What Does Ericsson Mobility Report Say
The latest Ericsson Mobility Report on Wednesday said that 5G subscriptions are projected to reach around 840 million in India by the end of 2029, accounting for 65 per cent of mobile subscriptions in the country. A record over Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of 5G telecom spectrum was sold in 2022, with Bharti Airtel making a successful bid of Rs 43,084 crore.
India’s Electronic Manufacturing Likely To Reach Around $250 Bn In Next 5 Yrs
India’s electronic manufacturing is likely to reach around $250 billion in the next five years, according to media reports. At present, the electronic exports of the country stand at $125 to $130 billion. The government also plans to address the issue of unemployment by creating jobs in the electronic manufacturing sector. Presently, 25 lakh people are employed in this sector.
In the next five years, the government intends to double the number of jobs in the sector, according to media reports. As per Invest India, technology transitions such as the rollout of 5G networks and IoT (Internet of Things) are driving the accelerated adoption of electronics products.
“Initiatives such as ‘Digital India’ and ‘Smart City’ projects have raised the demand for IoT in the electronics devices market and will undoubtedly usher in a new era for electronic products,” it mentioned.
(With inputs from agencies)