5G auction: Dept of Telecom approves Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vi and Adani as final participants

In the first-ever auction of 5G airwaves, the government wants to sell rights for 72 GHz of spectrum valid for 20 years worth Rs4.3 lakh crore at base price.

Frequency bands on sale range from low (600 Mhz, 700 Mhz, 800 Mhz, 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz, 2300 Mhz, 2500 Mhz) and mid (3.3-3.67 Ghz) to high (26 Ghz).

Market leader Reliance Jio Infocomm has deposited the highest earnest money - 14000 crore - accounting for more than half of the earnest money deposited by the other participants.

While Bharti Airtel deposited Rs 5,500 crore, and Vodafone Idea with Rs 2,200 crore as earnest money.

Newcomer Adani Data Networks deposited a small amount, signalling that it is not likely to bid fiercely for spectrum.

The telecom department's data shows that Reliance Jio has 159,830 eligibility points, Bharti Airtel has 66,330 points, Vodafone Idea has 29,370 eligibility points and Adani has 1,650 points.

The allotted points indicate that Reliance Jio can bid for a spectrum worth a maximum Rs 1.27 lakh crore.

Bharti Airtel can bid for a maximum of Rs 48,000 crore of the spectrum, Vodafone Idea for Rs 20,000 crore, and Adani Data Network Rs 700 crore based on the points each one of them has garnered.