The 5G spectrum auction went live on Tuesday as scheduled. Four bidders participated, including Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Adani Data Networks. All the companies have put in bids so far. Complete four rounds of spectrum auction are over during the first day. The fifth round will start on Wednesday, i.e., July 27, 2022. The exact details of the bids aren't out yet, but multiple online reports and sources suggest that the bidders have largely focused on the mid-band spectrum. It makes sense as well because the whole game would be around the mid-band spectrum initially.
The spectrum bands put into the auction are - 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3.3 GHz - 3.67 GHz and 26 GHz. A total of 72 GHz of frequencies are available for the operators. Jio is likely going to be the operator who will bid the most as it has submitted the highest EMD (Earnest Money Deposit). Stay tuned for more.
