Airtel may seize sub-GHz spectrum and deploy standalone 5G services in auction

The upcoming 5G auction will not only give Bhart Airtel the chance to renew spectrum but also catch up with Jio’s strategy for standalone 5G services. Even though airwaves in 700 MHz are not being auctioned this time around, Bharti Airtel can buy spectrum made available in the 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands to deploy standalone 5G.

A senior Airtel official that businessline spoke with declined to comment on the exact specifics of Airtel’s auction strategy. However, he said that there is no dearth of spectrum in the upcoming 5G auctions, and Airtel will be able to acquire sufficient spectrum for its 5G ambitions.

Standalone 5G
During the 2022 auctions, Bharti Airtel skipped buying airwaves in the 700 MHz band, while competitor Reliance Jio paid a stiff ₹40,000 crore to buy 10 MHz of spectrum in the same band. This consequently gave Reliance Jio an edge in the type of 5G network that it has deployed subsequently: “standalone 5G,” which not only has better network penetration over large distances and rural areas but will also be better equipped for future applications of 5G, such as network slicing and edge computing.

Since then, Airtel has maintained that it has no intentions of buying 700MHz in the future, stating that it is doing sufficiently well on non-standalone 5G. However, experts note that Bharti Airtel could buy sufficient spectrum in the 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands to create a continuous 10 MHz block suitable for 5G in 17 of the 22 telecom circles.

“These contiguous 10 MHz blocks of sub GHz spectrum will be sufficient for deploying standalone 5G,” the expert said. Circles where Bharti Airtel cannot execute this strategy include Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat.

For the May 20 auction, the government will put around 10,523.15 MHz of 5G airwaves worth ₹96,317.65 crore in eight key bands on sale.

While experts believe that demand for auctions this time around could be muted, Bharti could potentially try to seize the sub-GHz spectrum, which in turn could prompt Jio to block this endeavour. The Hindu BusinessLine