Spectrum auction starts May 20, 5G airwaves worth Rs 96,317.65 crore on sale

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

spectrum auction starts May 20 where the government will put airwaves in eight key bands worth Rs 96,317.65 crore on sale.

The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) on Friday issued the notice inviting application (NIA), which outlines the auction rules, seeking participation from telecom firms.

In the upcoming auction, 5G airwaves in 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands will be on sale.

Companies seeking to buy spectrum can apply till April 22. A mock auction will be conducted on May 13 and 14 while the actual sale will commence on May 20.

Industry experts and analysts, though, expect the upcoming sale to be a muted affair as India’s top telcos don’t need more airwaves currently for their 5G needs. The auction is likely to see some selective buying by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, who have to renew their airwaves in a few circles. Apart from that, the Adani group may buy some airwaves in lower spectrum bands, analysts added.

Airtel needs to renew its airwaves in J&K, Odisha, Bihar, UP (East), West Bengal and Assam. Vodafone Idea, in turn, needs to renew its licences in West Bengal and UP West.

As per Jefferies, Airtel and Vodafone Idea merely need to renew airwaves worth around Rs 4,200 crore and Rs 1,950 crore, respectively, while market leader Reliance Jio does not have any spectrum renewals slated for this year.