India’s National Broadband Mission, which operates under the Ministry of Communications, has confirmed that the government will announce the launch of 5G services at the India Mobile Congress on October 1.
Senior industry leaders, including Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel’s CEO Sunil Mittal, and Vodafone Idea’s CEO Ravinder Takkar, are expected to present the rollout plan jointly at the event.
Reports indicate that the initial 5G rollout will begin in seven cities, among them Delhi and Mumbai, with the government and industry aiming for nationwide coverage within two years.
India’s 5G spectrum auction concluded on August 1, with domestic carriers purchasing approximately $19 billion worth of spectrum licenses.
Reliance Jio was the largest buyer, acquiring about $11 billion in spectrum. Bharti Airtel purchased roughly $5.4 billion worth, Vodafone Idea secured around $2.4 billion, and Adani bought spectrum valued at about $27 million to support private 5G network offerings.
Airtel plans to launch 5G in major cities first, then expand coverage progressively across the country. The company has completed its 5G rollout strategy for the top 5,000 cities and has set a goal of achieving nationwide coverage by March 2024. To support deployment, Airtel has signed network agreements with Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung.
Vodafone Idea has indicated that the timing of its 5G launch will depend on several variables, including the development of practical use cases, customer demand, and market competition.
Ravinder Takkar, Vodafone Idea’s non-executive chairman, said the company participated actively in the 5G auction and acquired mid-band spectrum in 17 priority circles as well as millimeter-wave spectrum in 16 circles, giving Vodafone Idea the capability to begin its 5G rollout across the country.
At its shareholder meeting earlier this year, Reliance Jio Infocomm announced plans to invest $24.5 billion in its 5G rollout and stated its intention to provide 5G service to every Indian town by the end of 2023.
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