5G spectrum auction ends; RIL emerges top bidder at Rs 88K crore

After seven days of bidding through 40 rounds, 5G spectrum auction has generated revenues of over Rs 1.5 trillion (Rs 150,173 crore to be precise). While 5G was the centrepiece of the auction, the government had put up 72.09 GHz of spectrum across 10 frequency bands on sale.

The first day of the auction saw telcos buying 5G spectrum along with highly-priced 700 MHz airwaves for more than Rs 1.45 trillion. In the remaining six days, the tally inched up marginally as companies got into the 4G play in some circles. On the final day of auctions, the government managed to earn only Rs 43 crore in three rounds of bidding.

The total figure of Rs 1.5 trillion stands out as the highest earning since mobile auctions began in 2010 with 3G.