COAI welcomes Adani Group’s foray into telecom

Telecom operators have welcomed Adani Group’s entry into the telecom sector by way of applying for spectrum auctions for private network solutions. In a statement on Thursday, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) — of which Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea are members — said that the right way for enterprises is to participate in the auctions and acquire spectrum.

COAI is opposed to direct allocation of spectrum to enterprises for private networks as they feel it upsets the level playfield. “We are happy to note that the companies wanting to use 5G spectrum have made applications for open bidding of the spectrum through a transparent auction process, which ensures that a level playing field is maintained and all interested parties bid for the spectrum required by them,” the industry body said.