Explorer

Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Asks Telcos To Gear Up For 5G Launch

In a first, the Department of Telecom has issued spectrum assignment letters on the same day the successful bidders of radio waves made upfront payments

Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday asked telecom service providers to gear up for 5G launch, post the issuance of spectrum allocation letters.

In a first, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has issued spectrum assignment letters on the same day the successful bidders of radio waves made upfront payments.

"5G Update:Spectrum assignment letter issued. Requesting TSPs to prepare for 5G launch," Vaishnaw wrote on a social media platform.

The DoT has received payment of around Rs 17,876 crore from service providers -- Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Adani Data Networks and Vodafone Idea for spectrum they won in a recent auction.

The country's biggest ever auction of telecom spectrum received a record Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of bids, with Mukesh Ambani's Jio cornering nearly half of all the airwaves sold with a Rs 87,946.93 crore bid.

Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said that his company Bharti Airtel received a spectrum allocation letter within a few hours of making upfront payment to the DoT.

"In my over 30 years of first-hand experience with DoT, this is a first ! Business as it should be. Leadership at work-Right at the top and at the helm of telecom. What a Change ! Change that can transform this nation – power its dreams to be a developed nation," Mittal said.

Airtel acquired 19,867.8 MHz spectrum by securing a pan-India footprint of 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands and selected purchase of radio waves in low and mid-band spectrum for Rs 43,039.63 crore.

"Airtel paid Rs 8,312.4 crore towards spectrum dues and was provided the allocation letter for the designated frequency bands within hours. E band allocation was given along with spectrum as promised. No Fuss, No Follow Up, No running around the corridors and No tall claims. This is ease of doing business at work in its full glory," Mittal said.

Airtel has said that it will launch 5G service this month.

While all telecom operators have opted to make payments in 20 annual installments, Bharti Airtel paid Rs 8,312.4 crore equivalent to four annual installments.

Reliance Jio has made payments of Rs 7,864.78 crore, Vodafone Idea Rs 1,679.98 crore and Adani Data Networks Rs 18.94 crore.

Richest Indian Gautam Adani's group has placed bids worth Rs 211.86 crore for 400 MHz in a band that is not used for offering public telephony services. 

View More
Advertisement

IPL Auction 2025

Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Virat Kohli
₹21 CR
Josh Hazlewood
₹12.50 CR
Phil Salt
₹11.50 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rishabh Pant
₹27 CR
Nicholas Pooran
₹21 CR
Ravi Bishnoi
₹11 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Jasprit Bumrah
₹18 CR
Suryakumar Yadav
₹16.35 CR
Hardik Pandya
₹16.35 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Heinrich Klaasen
₹23 CR
Pat Cummins
₹18 CR
Abhishek Sharma
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad
₹18 CR
Ravindra Jadeja
₹18 CR
Matheesha Pathirana
₹13 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Shreyas Iyer
₹26.75 CR
Arshdeep Singh
₹18 CR
Yuzvendra Chahal
₹18 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Sanju Samson
₹18 CR
Yashaswi Jaiswal
₹18 CR
Riyan Parag
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Venkatesh Iyer
₹23.75 CR
Rinku Singh
₹13 CR
Varun Chakaravarthy
₹12 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rashid Khan
₹18 CR
Shubman Gill
₹16.50 CR
Jos Buttler
₹15.75 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Axar Patel
₹16.50 CR
KL Rahul
₹14 CR
Kuldeep Yadav
₹13.25 CR
View all
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

Rajasthan 'Maharaja' & BJP MLA Clash Over 'Right' To Royal Throne Of Udaipur; Stone-Pelting Outside Palace
Rajasthan 'Maharaja' & BJP MLA Clash Over 'Right' To Royal Throne Of Udaipur; Stone-Pelting Outside Palace
As Race For Maharashtra CM Post Heats Up, Eknath Shinde Upset Over BJP's 'Claim' For Top Post: Sources
As Race For Maharashtra CM Post Heats Up, Eknath Shinde Upset Over BJP's 'Claim' For Top Post: Sources
Schools In Delhi-NCR To Go In Hybrid Mode After Supreme Court Directive On Air Pollution
Schools In Delhi-NCR To Go In Hybrid Mode After Supreme Court Directive On Air Pollution
Navjot Singh Sidhu Shares Wife's Diet Plan To 'Cure' Cancer Amid Backlash By Doctors
Navjot Singh Sidhu Shares Wife's Diet Plan To 'Cure' Cancer Amid Backlash By Doctors
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

FIR Filed Against Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman, Statement Released Amidst ControversyFIR Filed Against Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman and Local MLA's Son in Controversial CaseSambhal Violence Sparks Political Firestorm, Congress MP Imran Masood's Strong Remarks | ABP NewsBreaking News: SP Leader Ram Gopal Yadav Reacts to Sambhal Violence | ABP News

Photo Gallery

Embed widget