Airtel today said it acquired 173.8 Mhz spectrum in 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2300 Mhz bands through auction for Rs 14,244 crore.
The country’s largest telecom operator secured spectrum requirements for the next 20 years, well positioned to continue leading India’s digital revolution.
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Airtel now has 4G and 3G spectrum in all circles, giving it an unmatched mobile broadband footprint across India; also has 2G spectrum across India.
The spectrum auction that was concluded on Thursday indicates that Bharti Airtel has spent around 22 percent of the total bids generated by the Indian government during the spectrum auction.
Airtel Spectrum Acquisition in the latest auction
| Circles | Band | Mhz | Rs. Cr. |
| 3G, 4G FD/TD LTE New Capability | |||
| Kerala | 2100 | 5.0 | 885 |
| Assam | 1800 | 3.8 | 152 |
| Maharashtra | 1800 | 5.0 | 1590 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1800 | 2.4 | 31 |
| Kolkatta | 1800 | 2.0 | 302 |
| Gujarat | 2300 | 10.0 | 612 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 2300 | 10.0 | 10 |
| 3,582 | |||
| 3G/4G FD/TD LTE Additional Carrier | |||
| Assam | 2300 | 10.0 | 20 |
| Bihar | 2300 | 10.0 | 62 |
| Delhi | 2300 | 10.0 | 1430 |
| Kolkatta | 2300 | 10.0 | 330 |
| Karnataka | 2300 | 10.0 | 980 |
| Mumbai | 2300 | 10.0 | 1460 |
| North East | 2300 | 10.0 | 10 |
| Orissa | 2300 | 10.0 | 40 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2300 | 10.0 | 683 |
| West Bengal | 2300 | 10.0 | 50 |
| Tamil Nadu | 2300 | 10.0 | 1320 |
| Delhi | 2100 | 5.0 | 2770 |
| Bihar | 2100 | 5.0 | 430 |
| Rajasthan | 2100 | 5.0 | 700 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 2100 | 5.0 | 55 |
| 10,340 | |||
| 4G FD LTE Future Additional Carrier | |||
| Haryana | 1800 | 1.6 | 79 |
| North East | 1800 | 1.4 | 15 |
| Punjab | 1800 | 0.8 | 62 |
| Rajasthan | 1800 | 1.8 | 165 |
| 321 | |||
| TOTAL | 173.8 | 14,244 | |
Airtel has strengthened its pan-India spectrum portfolio and secured its spectrum requirements for the next 20 years. The company now has 4G and 3G spectrum in all circles, giving it the widest mobile broadband footprint across the country. It already has 2G spectrum in all circles. Over the past six years, the company has acquired spectrum worth appx. Rs 100,000 crore through spectrum auctions and spectrum trading.
Through strategic buying, in the latest spectrum auction, Bharti Airtel has built new 4G / 3G capabilities in 7 circles. The company has spent Rs 10,340 crore towards enhancing data capacities in 15 circles. It has also spent Rs 321 crore towards completing some of the existing partial blocks in 4 circles, giving it a second Carrier for its future needs.
Airtel India CEO Gopal Vittal said the company now has a solid spectrum portfolio that will enable it to continue leading India’s data revolution.
Baburajan K
