The Department of Telecom (DoT) issued letters of intent (LoIs) recently to Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications and Reliance Jio Infocomm, who won spectrum in auction earlier this March, according to a report from the ET. At the end of the recent auction for 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz spectrum, government got bids worth Rs 1.098 lakh crore.
It took eight months for the DoT to allocate spectrum for the winners of last year’s auction. Airtel launched its 4G services in some cities recently using the 1800MHz spectrum that it won last year. This time the Modi-led government want to wrap up spectrum allocations quickly, says the report.
“The actual spectrum assignments will happen only after the telcos complete all formalities, post-receipt of LoIs, including submission of bank guarantees as laid out in the auction rules.”, said a DoT official to the ET. Vodafone and Airtel confirmed that they have received the letter of intent, but the report says that Idea Cellular, RCOM and Reliance Jio had also been issued LoIs in all circles where they won spectrum.
Idea Cellular said after the auction that it will further expand its 3G Services to 13 circles covering 80% of its overall revenue and enable 4G roll out on 1800 MHz in 10 Service Areas with the spectrum it won. Other operators will also expand their 3G services and also launch 4G services in other cities with the airwaves it won recently.