5G auction resumes on Day 5, bidding battle for UP-E in 1800 MHz continues

Bidding in the 24 th round on Day 5 of India’s first 5G spectrum auction is underway Saturday morning, with the government already having received committed bids worth to Rs 1,49,855 crore at the end of Day 4.

Day four was driven entirely by the fight for the 1800 MHz spectrum in UP (East) that ensured the action would move into day five. The fourth day had seen seven rounds of bidding, with the per unit price of the 1800 MHz band increasing by 49% over its base price, to Rs135.6 crore for UP (East). The price has jumped as Bharti Airtel NSE 1.66 % fought with larger rival Reliance Jio to protect its market share in India’s most populous circle with some of its 900 MHz airwaves expiring in 2024, said industry executives.