India begins auction for 5G spectrum On July 26, 2022 India launched its biggest ever spectrum auction, which includes telephone and internet data signals.  Under this spectrum process 72 GHz of 5G airwaves have been offered at a cost of Rs 4.3 lakh crore.

Importance of 5G Spectrum
The fifth generation or 5G spectrum offers ultra-high speed, which is 10 times the speed of 4G.
It will also provide lag-free connectivity.  This will eventually enable connected devices to share data in real-time.

5G spectrum also powers ultra-low latency connections, allowing full-length high-quality movie or video downloads to a mobile device in seconds.  It will also enable solutions such as e-health, life-saving use cases, connected vehicles, advanced mobile cloud gaming and immersive augmented reality and metaverse experiences.


Bidding Process
Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Adani Enterprises and Vodafone-Idea are ready to bid for 5G spectrum.

The auction is taking place for spectrum in the following three bands:

• Low Frequency Bands : 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz
• Mid Frequency Band : 3300 MHz
• High Frequency Band: 26 GHz

5G spectrum is likely to be rolled out by September 2022.  Initially, 5G spectrum will be rolled out in phases and will be limited to metros and big cities, as just 7% of the total smartphone base in India is 5G-enabled.