5G spectrum: Adani In Competition With Telecom Giants

According to telecom department sources, billionaire Gautam Adani's business is allegedly preparing an unexpected entry into the competition for telecom spectrum, pitting it against Sunil Bharti Mittal's Airtel NSE 1.22 percent and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio. Applications to participate in the July 26 airwave auction, which will include companies able to offer fifth-generation (5G) telecom services including extremely fast internet connectivity, are now being accepted.

At least four applications were submitted before the deadline on Friday to participate in the July 26 airwave auction, which will include those capable of delivering fifth-generation or 5G telecom services including ultra-high-speed internet connectivity.

Three sources with knowledge of the situation said Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea NSE -0.59 percent — the three private telecom firms — submitted applications.

According to one of the sources, Adani Group is the fourth applicant and that company just recently received its National Long Distance (NLD) and International Long Distance (ILD) licenses.

The ownership information for applicants is to be revealed on July 12 in accordance with the auction timelines, and at that time the bids should be known. The auction, which is scheduled to start on July 26, 2022, would feature a total of 72,097.85 MHz of spectrum valued at at least Rs 4.3 lakh crore.

The 5G network will ensure higher download speed and better connectivity to the people.