Days after India's biggest ever auction of airwaves concluded, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued spectrum assignment to telecom operators, paving the way for the launch of 5G services. This was done within hours of DoT receiving Rs 17,875 crore from winning bidders in the first batch.

While Reliance Jio, Adani Data Networks and Vodafone Idea chose to make 20 equal annual instalments, only Bharti Airtel paid more than the upfront amount - Rs 8,312.4 crore. Reliance Jio, which emerged as the largest acquirer of the 5G spectrum, paid its first instalment of Rs 7,864 crore. Vodafone Idea has paid Rs 1,680 crore and the latest entrant Adani has made the first instalment of Rs 18.94 crore.

“Spectrum assignment letter issued. Requesting TSPs to prepare for 5G launch,” Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a post on local-microblogging site Koo on Thursday.

The fast issuance of the 5G spectrum allocation letter was hailed by Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal who said, “This is ease of doing business at work in its full glory.”

While commending the Centre for the allocation of E-band airwaves within hours of Airtel making its initial payment for spectrum acquired in the recent 5G sale, Mittal said, “Yesterday Airtel paid Rs 8312.4 crore towards spectrum dues and was provided the allocation letter for the designated frequency bands within hours.”

"E band allocation was given along with spectrum as promised. No Fuss, No Follow Up, No running around the corridors and No tall claims. In my over 30 years of first-hand experience with DoT, this is a first ! Business as it should be,” Mittal added in his statement.

Now that the Centre has assigned frequencies, telecom operators – Jio, Airtel, Vi and Adani can start working on rolling out 5G networks. Moreover, the telecom companies have already placed orders for buying telecom equipment and now will start distributing radios to the identified sites for 5G.

Image courtesy: Zee News