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India begins $11.5 bln spectrum auction; experts anticipate drab bidding

India has provided telecom spectrum worth around 962.38 billion rupees ($ 11.53 billion) for auction on Tuesday, it stated in a release, even as analysts anticipate lacklustre involvement from players as they fortify their existing spectrum.

A total of 10 GHz of radiowaves is up for sale in this auction, varying between 800 MHz to 26 GHz. WHY IT is very important

The Indian federal government derives a huge piece of its earnings from spectrum auctions, which award telecom business rights over airwaves for a specific duration.

During the previous auction in August 2022, telecom gamers Vodafone Idea (VI), Bharti Airtel and Dependence Industries' Jio Infocomm together got 5G spectrum worth $19 billion to increase capabilities worldwide's. second-largest smart device market.

The quantity of spectrum up for auction this time around is. lower than the previous year's, as telecom companies have currently. obtained enough to satisfy the majority of their bandwidth requirements in. the previous auction, likewise a likely sign that they would. not be bidding for larger blocks.

SECRET CONTEXT

Bidding not likely to be a spirited exercise ... we do not. anticipate any player to bid aggressively at the auction, analysts. at Antique Stock Broking said in a note.

Antique anticipates Bharti to bid for a few of its expiring. spectrum - airwaves where its license is ending - worth 38.2. billion rupees, while Jio, which has no spectrum pending for. renewal, is most likely to be selective.

Debt-ridden VI may just bid for spectrum that is ending or. to fill out gaps, the note included.

The auction was postponed two times until a new government was. elected, local newspaper The New Indian Express reported previously. this month, citing unnamed officials.

MARKET REACTION

Shares of the 2 noted telecom companies erased early gains on. the day, with VI down 0.17% and Bharti Airtel down 0.3%.

(source: Reuters)