Spectrum auction indicates operators gearing up for 5G transition
March 02, 2021
Access to cheaper 700 Mhz band in the next round of auction will be crucial
The outcome of the spectrum auction indicates that Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are gearing up to offer 5G services. While most of the acquisitions have been to renew spectrum in circles where they are expiring, both operators have consolidated their holding in the sub-GHz frequency bands, which is ideal for 5G services.
Reliance Jio has acquired 133 Mhz of fresh spectrum in the 800 Mhz band. Jio now has the highest amount of sub-GHz spectrum with 2X10 Mhz contiguous spectrum in most circles. (2X10 Mhz means that the operator has 10 Mhz spectrum for transmission and another 10 Mhz for receiving voice/data.)