The Spectrum Auction Day 1 concluded on June 25, 2024. According to the data published by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), on day 1, telcos bid for airwaves totalling Rs 11,000 crore. This means it is what every analyst and industry expert was expecting, the telcos are not going to bid heavily for airwaves. The focus of the telcos on Day 1 was on the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2500 MHz. A total of five rounds of bidding took place on Day 1, and the auction will continue on Day 2, which is today, June 26, 2024.
The auction is unlikely to proceed to Day 3 for bidding. Telcos already have most of the airwaves they need to deploy commercial 4G and 5G services. For Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), this auction is primarily to get airwaves for telecom circles where their existing spectrum portfolio is expiring. The telecom operators will get the spectrum for 20 years, and they will have the option to either pay in full immediately or pay it in instalments for 20 years with an interest rate of 8.65%.
Read More - India Spectrum Auction 2024 Starts With 10,522.35 MHz Across 8 Bands
The government didn't include the 600 MHz or 700 MHz airwaves in this auction. In India, currently, only Reliance Jio has access to the 700 MHz band in all telecom circles. Jio acquired 10 MHz of airwaves in the 700 MHz band in all circles to offer 5G. It will offer users a superior coverage experience with 5G, not necessarily very high-internet speeds.
The telcos have been asking the government to put the 6 GHz band into auction as well. This mid-band will help the telcos in offering better 5G throughout the country and will also be crucial for the rollout of 6G.
Also Read: India Spectrum Auction 2024: Details of Spectrum Put To Auction
COAI said, "COAI eagerly anticipates the successful completion of 5G spectrum auctions. The 5G auctions will catalyze the rapid rollout of 5G services across the country, leading to enhanced coverage and vastly improved connectivity."
