Bharti

Airtel acquires 19867.8 MHz spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100MHz, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz frequency bands through the auction for Rs 43,084 cr. Spectrum secured for 20 years

The ideal spectrum bank for the best 5G experience, 100x capacity enhancement all done strategically at the least cost

New Delhi, August 01, 2022: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier telecommunications services provider, today announced that it is set to lead India’s 5G revolution. The telecom company said that it has acquired 19,800 MHz spectrum by securing a pan India footprint of 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands. In addition, the company was able to selectively bolster mid-band spectrum. This massive spectrum bank was secured for a total consideration of Rs 43,084 cr in the latest spectrum auction conducted by the Department of Telecom, Government of India.

Airtel has secured 5G spectrum for 20 years in this auction. The acquisition of this vast amount of spectrum strapped on to an already industry best existing pool of spectrum will mean that the company does not need to spend any material sum on spectrum for many years to come. In addition, this spectrum acquisition has enabled Airtel to drastically reduce the payout towards spectrum usage charge (SUC) and eliminate the adverse SUC arbitrage compared to new entrants.

Airtel now has the widest mobile broadband footprint across the country making it well-positioned to usher in the 5G revolution in India. In the past year, Airtel has led the industry and spearheaded 5G technology in India testing several use cases with multiple partners at many locations. From demonstrating India’s first 5G experience over a live 4G network in Hyderabad to India’s first rural 5G trial to the first cloud gaming experience on 5G to the successful deployment of India’s first captive private network on the trial spectrum, Airtel has created and nurtured a vibrant ecosystem of partners and start-ups to support faster adoption of next-generation technologies.

Over the years, Airtel has been very astute in its competitive spectrum acquisition approach. It has assiduously accumulated the largest pool of low and mid band spectrum (Sub ghz/1800/2100/2300 bands) which can be used to provide the best 5G coverage while massive capacities in the 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands will allow Airtel to create 100X capacities at the least cost. This well thought out strategy for spectrum acquisition through auctions, M&A and trading has allowed Airtel to avoid the need for adding an expensive sub GHz band. This enables Airtel to meet all its objectives – the best 5G experience, 100x capacity enhancement and the most power-efficient solutions that will go towards meeting the ambitious ESG goals of the company. Even more importantly, this will provide Airtel an enduring competitive advantage for years to come in delivering the lowest total cost of ownership.

Airtel now plans to launch 5G services in every part of the country starting with key cities. The company is convinced that its higher-quality customer base will adopt 5G devices at a rapid pace in the country. In addition, Airtel’s strong presence in the Enterprise segment will allow for a slew of industrial use cases further strengthening Airtel’s leadership in the B2B market.

Gopal Vittal, M.D & CEO, Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel is delighted with the results of the 5G auction. This spectrum acquisition at the latest auction has been a part of a deliberate strategy to buy the best spectrum assets at a substantially lower relative cost compared to our competition. This will allow us to raise the bar on innovation and address the emerging needs of every discerning customer who demands the best experience in India. We are confident that we will be able to deliver the best 5G experience in India in terms of coverage, speeds and latency. This will allow us to change a lot of established paradigms for both our B2C and B2B customers. 5G technology is the revolution that can alter India’s manufacturing, services and several other sectors. We remain fully committed to the Government’s Digital India vision and will continue to do what is needed to ensure that India becomes a beacon for the world in terms of technology.”

About Airtel:

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 480 Mn customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com

ANNEXURE - Airtel Spectrum Acquisition in the latest auction

High Band

Circles	Band - MHz			Amount - Rs Cr.
	3300 MHz	26 GHz	Total	3300 MHz	26 GHz	Total
Andhra Pradesh	100	800	900	2,600	456	3,056
Assam	100	800	900	500	80	580
Bihar	100	800	900	1,200	216	1,416
Delhi	100	800	900	4,000	712	4,712
Gujarat	100	800	900	2,300	400	2,700
Haryana	100	800	900	600	104	704
Himachal Pradesh	100	800	900	200	40	240
Jammu & Kashmir	100	800	900	100	24	124
Karnataka	100	800	900	1,800	320	2,120
Kerala	100	800	900	900	152	1,052
Kolkata	100	800	900	1,500	256	1,756
Madhya Pradesh	100	800	900	1,300	232	1,532
Maharashtra	100	800	900	2,900	504	3,404
Mumbai	100	800	900	3,500	624	4,124
North East	100	800	900	100	24	124
Odisha	100	800	900	500	96	596
Punjab	100	800	900	900	160	1,060
Rajasthan	100	800	900	1,100	200	1,300
Tamil Nadu	100	800	900	2,100	368	2,468
Uttar Pradesh (East)	100	800	900	1,400	240	1,640
Uttar Pradesh (West)	100	800	900	1,300	232	1,532
West Bengal	100	800	900	900	152	1,052
Total	2,200	17,600	19,800	31,700	5,592	37,292

Low & Mid Band

Circles	Band - MHz				Amount - Rs Cr.
	900 Mhz	1800 MHz	2100 MHz	Total	900 Mhz	1800 MHz	2100 MHz	Total
Assam	3.8			3.8	213			213
Bihar			5.0	5.0			340	340
Delhi			5.0	5.0			1,120	1,120
Gujarat			5.0	5.0			625	625
Haryana			5.0	5.0			170	170
Himachal Pradesh		5.0		5.0		70		70
Jammu & Kashmir	5.0			5.0	80			80
Kerala			5.0	5.0			240	240
Kolkata		5.0		5.0		485		485
Maharashtra		5.0		5.0		950		950
Mumbai		4.0		4.0		944		944
North East	4.0			4.0	56			56
Odisha		5.2		5.2		183		183
Uttar Pradesh (East)		0.8		0.8		132		132
West Bengal			5.0	5.0			185	185
Total	12.8	25.0	30.0	67.8	349	2,764	2,680	5,792