India’s 5G Spectrum Run Stirred Bullish Competition Among Indian Tech Moguls

Indian tech moguls are torn to take over the reins of the 5G sector

India’s telecommunications network is the second-largest in the world, with a whopping 1179 million subscribers. Reportedly, it has one of the lowest call tariffs in the world enabled by some of the mega telecom operators in the world. Well, this growth and advancement in the Indian telecom industry have enabled hyper-competition among these tech moguls. Besides, India has the world’s second-largest Internet user base with over 700 million broadband internet subscribers in the country. India’s telecom sector has come a long way, over the past seven years, the industry has grown by over 60%, and with the emergence of the 5G technology, it seems like the Indian telecom sector is set to embark on its massive expansion and deliver immersive internet experiences to the citizens of the country. The advantages of 5G technology in India will include an immersive broadband experience for outdoor and indoor environments, on IoT devices, it will also accelerate the development of smart cities and smart agriculture, energy monitoring, smart grids, and industrial automation, to name a few. In this race to deploy 5G services in India, business moguls like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, and Adani Data Networks have been intensely bidding for a 72GHz total spectrum, which is worth at least INR 4.3 lakh crore to the Indian government. Earlier speculations were made the Indian telco giants might not be bullish on the 5G spectrum, due to their massive value. But it is for sure that these Indian business players are doing their best to grab the reigns of the domain.

The Importance of 700MHz for 5G Technology in India

Basically, the Indian 5G spectrum for the auction includes 600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, 2500MHz, 3300MHz, and 26GHz. These are wireless radio wave frequencies that are used in the telecommunications sector. But the participants of the auction were torn over the 700MHz. This spectrum has received bids for over INR 39,000 by all the four major Indian telecom operators across all the 22 circles of the country, which is close to 30% of all the bids submitted totaling over 1.4 lakh crore. More so, the 700MHz is proving to be one of the most expensive pieces of the 5G spectrum. According to tech experts, this 700MHz band will turn out to be extremely crucial for broader, uninterrupted 5G data transmissions in the country. Industry analysts believe the 700MHz is quite significant for India’s future in the 5G ecosystem since it is ideal for 100% coverage in high-density areas and deep data networks in the country. Based on expert opinions, this spectrum band indicates that the communications service providers will be focusing on enhanced indoor coverage. The other mid-band frequencies will help Indian telecom providers to strike a balance between coverage and high-speed data transactions.

The Competition Between Indian India’s Telco Giants Continue

Recent statements by the Indian telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw indicate the industry is drawing bids, totaling about US$19 billion for the 5G spectrum, and the process will likely continue for the next few days. Reportedly, Jio is rivaling Airtel and Vodafone, along with billionaire Gautam Adani Enterprises, who are all among the bidders for the 5G airwaves. It seems like India’s 5G spectrum is set to grow and drag the Indian telco industry to new heights.