Bharti Airtel acquires 97 MHz spectrum for ₹6,857 crore at auction

Telecom major Bharti Airtel has acquired 97 MHz spectrum—around 60% of total airwaves sold— in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands in an auction concluded on June 26 for a total of ₹6,857 crore, the company said in a stock exchange filing.

The spectrum, which expires this year, was obtained for a 20-year period and aims to enhance the company’s mid-band holdings across key markets.

"Airtel acquires 97 MHz spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100MHz frequency bands through the auction for ₹6,857 crore. Airtel successfully renewed spectrum that was expiring in 2024 along with additional spectrum purchase to bolster its mid-band holding across the key circles," Bharti Airtel said in its press release.

In an exchange filing, India's second-largest telecom operator by subscribers said that the newly acquired spectrum would bolster its existing mid-band spectrum pool, making it the largest in the country. This pool is commonly used for 5G connectivity.

"Airtel continues to judiciously acquire the right amount of spectrum to deliver the best possible experience to our customers. In this auction, we have bolstered our sub‐giga hertz and mid‐band holding, which will significantly improve our coverage, especially indoor," said Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO of Bharti Airtel.

Bharti Hexacom Ltd, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, also acquired 15 MHz of spectrum with an outlay of ₹1,001 crore.

A total of 10GHz in airwaves, ranging between 800 MHz and 26 gigahertz (GHz), were up for sale in this year's auction, which has been delayed twice.

India's spectrum auction concluded within a few hours of bidding on Day 2, with telcos buying about ₹11,340 crore worth of radio waves in all, which is just 12% of the ₹96,238 crore minimum value that the government had estimated for the spectrum on offer.

The auction featured 10 GHz of spectrum across bands from 800 MHz to 26 GHz. On Day 1, five bidding rounds took place, but limited activity on the second day led officials to close the auction by 11:30 am.

Market leader Reliance Industries' Jio Infocomm and No.3 Vodafone Idea (VI) are yet to report their purchases.