NEW DELHI: Indian telecom service providers (TSPs) on Monday welcomed the result of the 5G spectrum auction and expected 5G technology will accelerate India’s transformation into a digital society.
Reliance Jio, which acquired spectrum in the 700MHz, 800MHz, 1800MHz, 3300MHz and 26GHz bands in the auctions said the acquisition will enable the company to build the world’s most advanced 5G network and further strengthen India’s global leadership in wireless broadband connectivity.
“We have always believed that India will become a leading economic power in the world by adopting the power of breakthrough technologies. This was the vision and conviction that gave birth to Jio. The speed, scale and societal impact of Jio’s 4G rollout are unmatched anywhere in the world. Now, with a bigger ambition and stronger resolve, Jio is set to lead India’s march into the 5G era,” said Akash M Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm.
The government mopped up a whopping Rs 1,50,173 crore in the first-ever 5G spectrum auction, selling 71% of the spectrum put up for sale. India’s second-largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel said it has acquired 19,800 MHz spectrum by securing a pan India footprint of 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands.
“This will allow us to raise the bar on innovation and address the emerging needs of every discerning customer who demands the best experience in India. We are confident that we will be able to deliver the best 5G experience in India in terms of coverage, speeds and latency,”
Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO, Bharti Airtel. Vodafone Idea (VIL), which acquired mid-band 5G spectrum (3300 MHz band) in 17 priority circles and mmWave 5G spectrum (26 GHz band) in 16 circles, said it believes this auction will catalyse digital economy growth and usher 5G in India. “We will continue to collaborate with enterprise customers and partners in prioritising and developing 5G use cases for real-world deployments,” said VIL in a statement.