5G spectrum auction in India has been postponed for June 25

The much anticipated ₹96,000 crore 5G spectrum auction in India has been rescheduled for June 25 in light of the latest modifications to the Notice Inviting Applications.

Due to the general elections, originally scheduled to be held on May 20, it was delayed to June 6, and now the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has postponed it again to June 25. The DoT has amended the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), with mock auctions' dates revised to June 13 and June 14 and the genuine auction on June 25.

Additionally, delays in spectrum auctions could affect investment decisions and network deployment plans for telecom operators, potentially influencing the pace and scope of 5G deployment in India.

The new 5G spectrum will be assigned for 20 years and successful bidders will be allowed to make payments in 20 equal annual instalments. The DoT previously confirmed that it received applications from local carriers Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

Reliance Jio Infocomm has made the highest earnest money deposit (EMD) for the upcoming auction, positioning itself to bid for the maximum number of radiowaves, followed by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The EMD amounts determine the bidding points each carrier receives, which affects their ability to bid for the number of circles and spectrum quantity they desire.