Reliance Jio and Airtel have announced that they have acquired spectrum in the latest spectrum auction that kicked off on March 1 for the fourth-generation (4G) mobile networks. Reliance Jio acquired spectrum in the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2300 MHz bands. Meanwhile, Airtel said in a press release that the company has acquired 355.45 MHz spectrum for Rs 18,699 crores.
The latest spectrum auction for 4G mobile networks was held for the first time in four years. The auction of 2,251 megahertz airwaves by the end of the financial year 2020-21 at the reserved price of Rs 3.92 lakh crore was approved by the Union Cabinet on December 16.
Spectrums were offered across seven bands by the Department of Telecommunications. These include 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1,800MHz, 2,100MHz, 2,300MHz and 2,500MHz. Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, as well as Airtel participated in the auction:
Reliance Jio acquires 800MHz, 1800MHz, 2300MHz spectrum for Rs 57,123 crores
Reliance Jio said in a press release that it has acquired spectrum in 800MHz, 1800MHz, 2300MHz bands at a price of Rs 57,123 crores. The company acquired spectrum in all 22 circles across India. The company added that the acquired spectrum can be utilised for the transition to 5G services at the appropriate time.
“Jio has revolutionised the digital landscape of India with the country becoming the fastest adopter of Digital Life. We want to ensure that we keep on enhancing experiences, not only for our existing customers but also for the next 300 million users that will move to digital services. With our increased spectrum footprint, we are ready to further expand the digital footprint in India as well as get ourselves ready for the imminent 5G rollout,” Mukesh D Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Industries, said in a press statement.
Airtel acquires 355.45 MHz spectrum for Rs 18,699 crores
Bharti Airtel acquired 355.45 MHz spectrum across Sub GHz, mid band and 2300 MHz bands for Rs 18,699 crores. Airtel said in a press release that it has now secured pan-India footprint of Sub GHz spectrum. Further, the spectrum is said to help the player deliver 5G services in the future.
“At the outset, we would like to thank the Government for making abundant spectrum available for auctions. Airtel now has a solid spectrum portfolio that will enable it to continue delivering the best mobile broadband experience in India. We are most excited at bringing the power of Airtel services to an additional 90 million customers in India through the power of our Pan India Sub GHz footprint,” Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel said in a press release.
