Through the auction, 5G spectrum will be assigned to bidders to offer 5G services to the public.
Much awaited auction of 5G telecom spectrum worth Rs 4.3 lakh crore has commenced and telecom giants - Reliance Jio, Adani group, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are the four key players in the auction. Through the auction, 5G spectrum will be assigned to bidders to offer 5G services to the public. Union Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expects India to get full-fledged 5G services by March 2023. For those who are unaware, the speed of the 5G network in the country will be around 10 times higher than what is possible through the current 4G services. Here are key points that you should know about the Indian 5G telecom spectrum auction:
Which 5G bands are being auctioned by Department of Telecom
The Department of Telecom (DoT) is auctioning a total 72,097.85 MHz (72 GHz) of spectrum. The spectrum consists of low - 600 megahertz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz; mid - 3300 MHz, and high 26 GHz frequency bands. The frequency bands are responsible for the speed and quality of the 5G network user will receive.
How much Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) has been submitted by the bidders
Earnest Money Deposit or EMD is a type of deposit paid by bidders to the auctioneers. It can be considered as a token amount paid to the auctioneers, indicating their interest. In this case, the EMD amount reveals bidders’ plan and strategy about picking up spectrum in the auction. The amount also determines the eligibility points.
Also Read: DNA Explainer: What is 5G spectrum auction? How fast will it be?
Jio has made a Rs 14,000 crore EMD followed by Airtel that had put in Rs 5,500 crore EMD. The EMD amount of Vodafone Idea stands at Rs 2,200 crore and Adani group has made a Rs 100 crore deposit as it seeks the spectrum for private network.
How long will the 5G spectrum bidding last
The bidding which started at 10:00am on July 26 will continue till 06:00pm. The auction will carry over into the next day, if there exists a demand for spectrum and bidders are putting in bids. The number of days the auction ultimately stretches to will depend on the actual demand for radiowaves and the strategy of individual bidders, although the broad industry consensus is that it may last up to two days.
Why are company’s bidding for 5G spectrum
The companies are in a race to bid for 5G spectrum as it offers ultra-high speeds (about 10 times faster than 4G), lag-free connectivity, and can enable billions of connected devices to share data in real-time. In addition to powering ultra-low latency connections, it allows users to download full-length high-quality video or movie to a mobile device in a matter of seconds. Apart from this, the 5G network would enable solutions such as e-health, connected vehicles, more immersive augmented reality and metaverse experiences, life-saving use cases, and advanced mobile cloud gaming among others.
How will 5G network impact Indian economy
5G in India will empower tech companies, enterprises and ecosystem players to build private networks and bring next-generation digital transformation which is critical for the country to achieve the goal of becoming a $1 trillion digital economy, according to industry leaders and experts. According to Broadband India Forum (BIF), this will lead to better efficiencies, productivity and output for the enterprises, accelerate digitisation, boost capabilities, propel indigenous manufacturing and eventually garner greater economic gains for the country.
(With input from agencies)
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