Adani Group, one of the biggest conglomerates in India, has clarified its position and intent to participate in the 5G spectrum auction. On Thursday, it was revealed that the Adani Group would be bidding against the likes of Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea in the upcoming spectrum auction for 5G airwaves. This made many consumers think that the group might be planning to enter the B2C (Business-to-Consumer) segment with 5G services like Jio did with 4G.
However, a statement from the Adani Group has arrived saying that it isn’t looking to offer 5G services in the B2C domain.
Adani Group’s Statement on 5G
“We are participating in the 5G spectrum auction to provide private network solutions along with enhanced cyber security in the airport, ports & logistics, power generation, transmission, distribution, and various manufacturing operations,” the Adani Group said.
This means that the private telcos don’t need to worry about getting additional competition in the B2C segment. However, in the B2B segment, the Adani Group will definitely become a strong competitor for all the existing private telecom companies in the country.
The Adani Group further said that it looks to leverage 5G network technology to support the Adani Foundation’s investments in healthcare, education and skill development in rural areas. The group will also leverage 5G to fuel its own operations which include edge data centres, super apps, control centres and more.
Just how big a threat the Adani Group will be to the private telcos in the B2B segment is a big question right now. All the telcos already have a ready ecosystem and proven networks for supporting multiple use cases of 5G. The Adani Group will definitely need to catch up with the rest as soon as possible. The bidding war in the upcoming auction will definitely heat up as now it is not just Airtel and Jio competing anymore; there will be a new big player with a ton of capital.