The Government of India, through the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), proposed to assign the right to use certain specified radio spectrum frequencies in the sub-1 GHz bands, i.e., 800 MHz, 900 MHz, Mid-Bands, i.e., 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz (C-Band), and 26 GHz Band (millimetre wave), using auction in various Licensed Service Areas (LSA). The NIA (Notice Inviting Applications) was released by the DoT on March 8, 2024.
According to TelecomTalk Spectrum Legend 2024, a total of 10,523.15 MHz spectrum was put to auction across all the bands mentioned above for operators to choose from. The validity period of the right to use the spectrum won in this auction shall be twenty years from the Effective Date.
Technology Neutral
The spectrum put to auction is liberalized, which means there are no restrictions on the technology to be deployed for providing services. Telcos are free to deploy 2G, 4G, 5G, or any low-speed or high-speed technology (DoT: GSM/WCDMA/LTE/CDMA/IMT-2020 (5G technology) for that matter.
3G is not mentioned, as the technology is being phased out globally. In India, only BSNL and Vodafone Idea (Vi) currently provide 3G services, and Vi is in the process of completely phasing out its 3G Network.
Spectrum Block Size
Spectrum is auctioned/assigned in blocks, whose sizes are as below. A minimum of 5 MHz Block is required to offer 4G services in the bands wherever feasible. As TelecomTalk records, India has also experienced 4G on a 3 MHz Lean LTE carrier with peak downlink speeds of around 12 Mbps on the 1800 MHz Band.
Block Size for Bands:
0.2 MHz: 900 MHz (paired), 1800 MHz (paired)
1.25 MHz: 800 MHz (paired)
5 MHz: 2100 MHz (paired)
10 MHz: 2300 MHz (unpaired), 2500 MHz (unpaired), 3300 MHz (unpaired)
50 MHz: 26 GHz (unpaired)
Let's now look at the amount of Spectrum put to auction across the bands by the DoT in 2024:
Sub-1 GHz Bands (800 MHz, 900 MHz)
| Sl.No | LSA | 800 MHz (FDD) | 900 MHz (FDD) |
| Quantum on sale (2x) | Quantum on sale (2x) | ||
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh & Telangana | 10 | 4.4 |
| 2 | Assam | 6.8 | |
| 3 | Bihar | 10 | 11.8 |
| 4 | Delhi | 6.25 | 0.8 |
| 5 | Gujarat | 3.75 | 1.6 |
| 6 | Haryana | 3.75 | 4.6 |
| 7 | Himachal Pradesh | 7.5 | 3.4 |
| 8 | Jammu & Kashmir | 2.5 | 13.4 |
| 9 | Karnataka | 6.25 | 4.6 |
| 10 | Kerala | 6.25 | 1.4 |
| 11 | Kolkata | 5 | 2.8 |
| 12 | Madhya Pradesh | 5 | 4.4 |
| 13 | Maharashtra & Goa | 5 | 2.8 |
| 14 | Mumbai | 5 | 0.8 |
| 15 | North East | 4.4 | |
| 16 | Odisha | 8.75 | 8.4 |
| 17 | Punjab | 7.5 | 1.2 |
| 18 | Rajasthan | 5 | 4.4 |
| 19 | Tamil Nadu | 6.25 | 8.4 |
| 20 | Uttar Pradesh East | 10 | 6.2 |
| 21 | Uttar Pradesh West | 11.8 | |
| 22 | West Bengal | 5 | 9.6 |
| Total* (in MHz) | 118.75 | 118 | |
| Block Size | 1.25 MHz | 0.2 MHz |
Mid-Bands (1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz)
| Sl.No | LSA | 1800 MHz (FDD) | 2100 MHz (FDD) | 2300 MHz (TDD) | 2500 MHz (TDD) |
| Quantum on sale (2x) | Quantum on sale (2x) | Quantum on sale (x) | Quantum on sale (x) | ||
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh & Telangana | 9 | 15 | 10 | |
| 2 | Assam | 8.6 | 5 | ||
| 3 | Bihar | 10.2 | 10 | ||
| 4 | Delhi | 11 | 10 | 10 | |
| 5 | Gujarat | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | Haryana | 28.4 | |||
| 7 | Himachal Pradesh | 13.2 | 15 | 10 | |
| 8 | Jammu & Kashmir | 6 | 5 | 10 | |
| 9 | Karnataka | 4.8 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| 10 | Kerala | 25.4 | |||
| 11 | Kolkata | 18.6 | 10 | 10 | |
| 12 | Madhya Pradesh | 1.2 | 10 | ||
| 13 | Maharashtra & Goa | 2.4 | 5 | ||
| 14 | Mumbai | 18.4 | 10 | 10 | |
| 15 | North East | 2.2 | 5 | ||
| 16 | Odisha | 8.8 | 10 | ||
| 17 | Punjab | 9.8 | 5 | ||
| 18 | Rajasthan | 7 | |||
| 19 | Tamil Nadu | 3.4 | 10 | 20 | |
| 20 | Uttar Pradesh East | 1 | |||
| 21 | Uttar Pradesh West | 14.8 | 10 | ||
| 22 | West Bengal | 13.2 | |||
| Total * (in MHz) | 221.4 | 125 | 60 | 70 | |
| Block Size | 0.2 MHz | 5 MHz | 10 MHz | 10 MHz |
C-Band (3300 MHz) and mmWave Band (26 GHz)
| Sl.No | LSA | 3300 MHz (TDD) | 26 GHz (TDD) |
| Quantum on sale (x) | Quantum on sale (x) | ||
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh & Telangana | 50 | 400 |
| 2 | Assam | 100 | 650 |
| 3 | Bihar | 50 | 650 |
| 4 | Delhi | 50 | 450 |
| 5 | Gujarat | 50 | 100 |
| 6 | Haryana | 50 | 250 |
| 7 | Himachal Pradesh | 70 | 650 |
| 8 | Jammu & Kashmir | 70 | 650 |
| 9 | Karnataka | 20 | 400 |
| 10 | Kerala | 20 | |
| 11 | Kolkata | 50 | 450 |
| 12 | Madhya Pradesh | 20 | 250 |
| 13 | Maharashtra & Goa | 50 | 250 |
| 14 | Mumbai | 50 | 350 |
| 15 | North East | 70 | 650 |
| 16 | Odisha | 100 | 650 |
| 17 | Punjab | 50 | 350 |
| 18 | Rajasthan | 20 | 300 |
| 19 | Tamil Nadu | 50 | 300 |
| 20 | Uttar Pradesh East | 50 | 400 |
| 21 | Uttar Pradesh West | 20 | 300 |
| 22 | West Bengal | 50 | 250 |
| * (in MHz) | 1110 | 8700 | |
| Block Size | 10 MHz | 50 MHz |
Important Dates
Post the NIA, the last date for the submission of Applications is April 22, 2024 (Monday). DoT will release the final list of bidders on May 9, 2024 (Thursday), and the Live Auction starts on May 20, 2024, which falls on Monday.
For this Auction, the bidding by the bidders for each of the LSAs in each of the bands will be restricted by various applicable caps. You can find the details of spectrum blocks and spectrum holdings and CAP details (Sub GHz, TDD, FDD) in the India Spectrum Holding Timeline 2024 sheet.
