Vodafone
Group and Bharti Airtel won critical wireless telecom spectrum in metros like
Delhi and Mumbai and several other cities in an intensely fought 10- day
auction that gave the government over Rs 61,162 crore,
far exceeding its own
target. Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio Infocomm, which surprised by entering the
fray despite owing pan-India 4G spectrum, bid aggressively for both the bands
of airwaves on offer - the premium 900 Mega-Hertz and not so efficient 1,800
MHz, but choose spectrum only in the later band in 14 out of 22 circles.
Vodafone,
whose license in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata is due to expire in November this
year and desperately needed spectrum in the auction to continue operations, put
in bids worth Rs 19,600 crore to win 900 MHz airwave in the three metros and 2G
1800 MHz spectrum in 11 circles or zones.
Airtel,
whose licenses in Delhi and Kolkatta was due to expire in November, won back
900 MHz in both these metros and added the same in Mumbai. It also won 1,800
MHz spectrum in 15 circles. It put in total bid worth Rs 18,530 crore for a
total of 115 MHz of spectrum in 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands. Sunil Bharti Mittal-promoted firm said it will
roll out pan-India 4G network using 1800 MHz. Idea was the only other company to win the 900
MHz spectrum, which is capable of 3G communications, in Delhi.
In
all the auction, which lasted 10 days, fetched the government Rs 61,162 crore,
of which Rs 18,296.36 crore will flow to the exchequer within this fiscal. The
government was initially expecting only Rs 11,300 crore of revenues to come
from the spectrum auction in the current year. Uninor won spectrum in five circles in 1800
MHz band while Idea got 11 circles in the same band. Anil Ambani's Reliance
Communications won just one circle of 1800 MHz in Mumbai. Tata Communications
drew blank. Aircel got 5 circles. "I
am very happy to report that auction is over. The total revenue that will come
to government is Rs 61,162.22 crore. To that extent particular auction has been
extremely successful," Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said.
