Jio Ready For 5G Rollout: Akash Ambani

Reliance Jio, a leading telecom operator, announced that it had acquired spectrum in the 700MHz and 800MHz bands, as well as the 1800MHz and 3300MHz bands, in auctions held by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The auctions were conducted for Rs 88.078 crore over a period of twenty years. Jio stated that the unique 700MHz spectrum footprint it has will make Jio the only operator to provide "true 5G services" across the country.

The 4G rollout by Jio is unparalleled in speed, scale, and social impact. Jio now has a greater ambition and a stronger resolve to lead India's 5G transition," stated Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm.

"We will celebrate 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' with a pan India 5G rollout. Jio is committed to offering world-class, affordable 5G and 5G-enabled services. We will provide services, platforms and solutions that will accelerate India's digital revolution, especially in crucial sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and e-governance," he emphasised.

Jio stated that India's 5G network will allow the next generation digital solutions, which will help accelerate India's AI-driven march to becoming a $5+ Trillion economy. Jio's4G network offers the best quality and most affordable digital services to more than 400 million customers. According to the company, its 5G services will raise the bar.

The company stated that Jio is ready to roll out 5G in the shortest time possible due to its nationwide fiber presence and all-IP network without legacy infrastructure. It also has a strong global partnership across the technology ecosystem. Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel came in second place with 19,867 MHz spectrum across various bands, worth Rs 43.084 crore.

"We are confident that 5G will provide the best experience in India in terms coverage, speed and latency. This will enable us to challenge many of the established paradigms that have been imposed on both our B2C as well as B2B customers," stated Gopal Vittal CEO, Bharti Airtel.

Vodafone Idea was third with 2,668 MHz, worth Rs 18,784crore, while a unit from Adani Group received 400 MHz spectrum in the 26 GHz band for Rs 212crore. Vodafone Idea stated in a statement that they appreciate TRAI's efforts in providing sufficient 5G spectrum across frequencies in order to allow operators multiple options for acquiring spectrum in line to their business priorities.

The company stated that it had acquired mid-band 5G spectrum (3300MHz band) in 17 priority circles and mmWave spectrum (26GHz band) from 16 circles. This will allow us to provide a superior 5G experience for our customers, strengthen our enterprise offerings, and create new opportunities for business growth.