Business · Telecom · 1994–2026

Spectrum Auctions in India: From the 2G Row to 5G

📅 Updated 19 October 2026🔨 Record bids of ₹1,50,173 crore in 2022⏸️ Next auction on hold

Written & reviewed by Nazish Fatima · Updated October 19, 2026

In short

India spectrum auctions timeline: the 2G licence row, 3G and 4G bids, the record 2022 5G sale, the thin 2024 round and why the next auction is on hold.

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Every mobile call and video stream in India rides on radio spectrum the government sells to telecom companies. India’s spectrum auctions grew out of the 2G allocation scandal: after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences in 2012, open bidding became the rule. Since then auctions have raised roughly ₹5.9 lakh crore, peaking with the 5G sale of 2022. This timeline dates every round, from the 1994 telecom policy to TRAI’s 2026 recommendations and the government’s decision to wait.

Quick Answers Timeline Pick an Auction Revenue Chart All Auctions Band Guide 2G: Two Cases What Next FAQ

💡 Short Answer

India sells mobile spectrum through online auctions run by the Department of Telecommunications on TRAI’s advice. The system became the rule after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences from the 2008 2G allocation in February 2012. The 3G auction of 2010 raised ₹67,719 crore, and the 5G auction of July–August 2022 a record ₹1,50,173 crore. The June 2024 round raised only ₹11,341 crore, and no auction has been held since.

⚡ India’s Spectrum Auctions: Quick Facts

Biggest auction₹1,50,173 crore, 2022 (5G)

First big auction3G, April–May 2010

Licences cancelled122, on 2 February 2012

Latest auctionJune 2024, ₹11,341 crore

Run byDoT, on TRAI’s advice

5G reach779 of 783 districts (Oct 2024)

⚡ Quick Answers — AI Overview Ready

India’s Spectrum Auctions: Key Questions

How did the 2G case change spectrum policy?

Licences and spectrum issued in January 2008 on a first-come, first-served basis at 2001 prices led to a CAG estimate of up to ₹1.76 lakh crore in presumptive losses. In February 2012 the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences and ordered auctions, which have been the standard method for mobile spectrum since.

How much did the 5G auction raise?

Bids worth ₹1,50,173 crore, the highest from any single Indian spectrum auction. It ran from 26 July to 1 August 2022 over 40 rounds. Of 72,098 MHz offered in 10 bands, 51,236 MHz (71%) was sold, mostly to Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, with Adani Data Networks buying a small amount.

Why was the 2024 auction so small?

Operators already held plenty of 5G spectrum from 2022 and were still trying to earn a return on it. The June 2024 auction lasted two days, sold 141.4 MHz and raised ₹11,340.78 crore, mainly to renew expiring 900 and 1800 MHz holdings. Four bands, including 3300 MHz and 26 GHz, drew no bids.

When is the next spectrum auction?

No date has been set. TRAI recommended selling all available spectrum in nine bands on 24 February 2026, but reports in October 2026 said the government would not hold an auction this year. Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said one will follow when demand rises with 5G Standalone and 6G.

📚 Key Takeaways

India’s Spectrum Story in Ten Points

The start: the 1994 telecom policy opened mobile services to private companies; the first call was made in Kolkata on 31 July 1995.
The rescue: NTP 1999 replaced fixed licence fees with revenue sharing, the root of later AGR disputes.
The scandal: 2G licences issued on 10 January 2008 at 2001 prices led to the CAG’s ₹1.76 lakh crore estimate.
The first big auction: 3G and BWA raised about ₹1.06 lakh crore in 2010.
The court: 122 licences were cancelled on 2 February 2012 and auctions became the rule.
The acquittals: a CBI court acquitted all accused in December 2017; the CBI’s appeal is pending.
The disruptor: Jio, built on BWA spectrum won in 2010, launched in September 2016.
The peak: the 2022 5G auction drew ₹1,50,173 crore, and 5G reached 779 districts in two years.
The slump: the 2024 auction raised ₹11,341 crore and none has been held since.
2026: TRAI’s plan for a nine-band auction waits, while satellite spectrum is set to be assigned without bidding.

The Timeline: From the 1994 Policy to the 2026 Pause

Newest first. Tags mark auctions, policy, courts, market and the 2025–26 chapter.

15 Oct
2026

No auction this year, reports say 2025–26

Second straight year without a saleOperators focus on earning from 5G and cutting debtScindia: auction ‘when requirements come up’

Reports on 15 October 2026 said the government had decided not to hold a spectrum auction this year because operators are not ready to spend more. Asked on 9 October, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said a ‘fairly reasonable amount’ of spectrum had already been distributed and that an auction would follow as the industry moves to 5G Standalone and 6G and demand appears. TRAI’s February recommendations therefore remain on the table, not in a notice.

3 Sep
2026

Satellite spectrum framework clears the DCC 2025–26

Digital Communications Commission approves TRAI’s satcom plan with changes5% of AGR as annual charge, 4% for rural and remote servicesMinimum ₹3,500 per MHz for non-geostationary operators

Satellite broadband operators Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio’s satellite venture hold licences but cannot launch commercially without spectrum. Under the Telecommunications Act 2023, satellite spectrum is assigned administratively, not auctioned, a point Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel had contested. Draft rules for administrative assignment were published in June 2026. Cabinet approval and Home Ministry security clearances were still pending in October.

24 Feb
2026

TRAI recommends the next auction Policy

All available spectrum in nine bands, reported at about 11,790 MHzNet worth for new entrants halved to ₹50 crore per circleUpper 6 GHz kept for mobile but not sold until after WRC-27

The Department of Telecommunications had asked for the recommendations on 15 May 2025, and TRAI consulted from 30 September 2025. Its proposals include a second try at the 600 MHz band with a 24-year term, a four-year payment holiday and only 5% upfront; a discount of up to 10% of the price for operators that build sites in coverage gaps; spectrum caps of 35% per operator; and taking back spectrum held by companies in insolvency so it can be resold.

2025

Satcom pricing proposed; Vodafone Idea’s dues become equity 2025–26

TRAI satcom recommendations, 9 May 2025: 4% of AGR, five-year termsGovernment stake in Vodafone Idea rises to about 48.99% after ₹36,950 crore of spectrum dues converted, March 2025

No auction was held in 2025. The two biggest spectrum stories were about how to price satellite spectrum without an auction and how to keep a third private operator alive. The conversion left the government as Vodafone Idea’s largest shareholder, an unusual outcome for a sector that had been opened to private companies three decades earlier.

31 Oct
2024

5G reaches 779 of 783 districts Market

More than 4.6 lakh 5G base stations installedRollout in all states and union territoriesFigures from the Department of Telecommunications

District-level availability does not mean every village or building has a strong 5G signal, but the speed of the rollout, roughly two years from launch, was among the fastest anywhere. It rested on the mid-band 3300 MHz and the 700 MHz spectrum bought in 2022.

Mobile towers among fields in Punjab. Spectrum bought at auction is what operators broadcast from sites like these. Photo: Sahil Dhiman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

25–26 Jun
2024

A two-day, ₹11,341 crore auction Auction

7 rounds141.4 MHz sold, 26.5% of the 533.6 MHz of balance spectrum, by PIB’s countNo bids for 800, 2300, 3300 MHz or 26 GHz

Bharti Airtel spent ₹6,856.76 crore, Vodafone Idea ₹3,510.40 crore and Reliance Jio ₹973.62 crore, mostly to renew 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum whose terms were ending. Only 87.2 MHz, worth ₹6,164.88 crore, was new capacity. The government said unsold spectrum would be offered again in the next auction.

24 Dec
2023

The Telecommunications Act 2023 Policy

Replaces the Indian Telegraph Act 1885Auction as the default way to assign spectrumFirst Schedule lists uses, including satellite broadband, assigned administratively

The Act wrote the post-2012 principle into law: spectrum for mobile networks is auctioned. But it also listed exceptions, from defence and railways to satellite services, where an auction would make little sense. That schedule is why Starlink and others get spectrum by assignment, not by bidding.

1 Oct
2022

5G services launch Market

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India Mobile CongressAirtel and Jio start in selected citiesVodafone Idea follows much later

Jio built a standalone 5G network on 700 MHz and 3300 MHz; Airtel used a non-standalone network on its 4G core. Both bundled unlimited 5G data into most plans at no extra charge, which helped adoption but delayed the return on the 2022 spending, one reason demand in later auctions was weak.

26 Jul–
1 Aug 2022

The 5G auction: ₹1,50,173 crore Auction

40 rounds over 7 days10 bands, 22 circles51,236 MHz of 72,098 MHz sold (71%)No bids for 600 MHz

Jio bid about ₹88,078 crore, Airtel about ₹43,084 crore, Vodafone Idea about ₹18,799 crore and Adani Data Networks about ₹212 crore for 26 GHz spectrum for private networks. It was the highest revenue ever from a single Indian auction, helped by the 2021 reforms: no spectrum usage charge, no mandatory upfront payment, 20 annual instalments and the right to surrender spectrum after 10 years. The 700 MHz band, unsold in 2016 and 2021, finally found a buyer in Jio.

15 Sep
2021

A rescue package for the telecom sector Policy

Spectrum usage charges scrapped for future auctionsFour-year moratorium on spectrum and AGR dues30-year term and surrender after 10 years for future spectrum100% FDI via the automatic route

The package came after the AGR ruling had pushed Vodafone Idea to the edge. It allowed operators to convert interest on deferred dues into government equity, an option Vodafone Idea used, and reset the economics of buying spectrum before the 5G sale.

1–2 Mar
2021

A quick auction for 4G spectrum Auction

Bids worth about ₹77,815 crore855.6 MHz of 2,308.8 MHz sold (37%)No bids for 700 MHz or 2500 MHz

Reliance Jio was the largest buyer, committing about ₹57,100 crore, as it bought spectrum across 22 circles to extend its 4G network. The auction was over in two days, a sign that operators were buying only what they needed.

24 Oct
2019

The AGR judgment Courts

Supreme Court backs the telecom department’s definition of adjusted gross revenueAbout ₹1.47 lakh crore in past dues, interest and penaltiesPayments spread over 10 years in September 2020

Licence fees and spectrum usage charges are calculated as a share of adjusted gross revenue. Including non-telecom income in that figure, as the court allowed, created dues stretching back to the early 2000s. It weakened the industry’s ability to bid in auctions for years.

21 Dec
2017

All accused acquitted in the 2G criminal case Courts

Special CBI court judge O.P. Saini acquits A. Raja, Kanimozhi and othersCBI appeals in March 2018Delhi High Court admits the appeal, 22 March 2024

The judge said the prosecution had failed to prove any of the charges. The verdict did not reverse the Supreme Court’s 2012 finding that the allocation process was arbitrary; that case was about the legality of the process, this one about criminal guilt. The CBI’s appeal was still pending in the Delhi High Court in October 2026.

1–6 Oct
2016

A huge offer, modest demand Auction

31 roundsBids of ₹65,789 crore965 MHz sold of about 2,355 MHz offered700 MHz, priced at ₹11,485 crore per MHz pan-India, gets no bids

The government put more than ₹5 lakh crore worth of spectrum on sale at reserve prices but sold only about 41% of it. One month earlier, on 5 September 2016, Reliance Jio launched its 4G service with free calls and data, starting a price war that pushed rivals into mergers and losses and changed how they would bid in later auctions.

4–25 Mar
2015

₹1.10 lakh crore for 2G, 3G and 4G airwaves Auction

19 days, 115 rounds800, 900, 1800 and 2100 MHzTotal bids ₹1,09,874 crore

Many operators had to win back 900 MHz spectrum whose original licences were expiring, which pushed prices up. It was the first auction to raise more than ₹1 lakh crore on its own.

3–13 Feb
2014

Expiring licences go to auction Auction

11 days, 68 rounds900 MHz in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, 1800 MHz nationwide₹61,162 crore for 399.2 MHz

Airtel and Vodafone had to bid to keep spectrum in their oldest circles as 20-year licences from the 1990s ran out. Spectrum sold at auction since 2012 is ‘liberalised’: it can be used for any technology, 2G, 3G or 4G.

12–14 Nov
2012

The court-ordered auction flops Auction

Bids of just ₹9,407.64 crore against an expected ₹28,000 croreNo bids for 1800 MHz in Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka or RajasthanPresidential Reference opinion, 27 September 2012

Reserve prices set after the 2G case were too high for an industry already crowded with operators. In a separate opinion in September 2012 the Supreme Court said auction is not a constitutional requirement for every natural resource, though it remained the rule for spectrum.

2 Feb
2012

Supreme Court cancels 122 licences Courts

Centre for Public Interest Litigation v Union of IndiaLicences issued on or after 10 January 2008 quashedSpectrum to be allotted by auctionTelenor, Sistema and others affected

The court called the first-come, first-served method ‘fundamentally flawed’ and the 2008 grant arbitrary. Some companies that had paid for licences lost them, and several foreign investors wrote off their Indian ventures. The judgment made competitive auctions the standard way to assign mobile spectrum in India.

The Supreme Court of India in New Delhi. On 2 February 2012 it quashed 122 telecom licences issued from 10 January 2008 and ordered spectrum to be auctioned. Photo: Subhashish Panigrahi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Nov
2010

The CAG report and Raja’s resignation Courts

A. Raja resigns as telecom minister, 14 November 2010CAG report tabled in Parliament, 16 November 2010Presumptive loss estimated at up to ₹1.76 lakh crore

The auditor compared the 2008 prices with those paid in the 2010 3G auction, among other benchmarks. The figure dominated politics for years, though it was an estimate of revenue foregone, not money taken. Raja was arrested on 2 February 2011.

Apr–Jun
2010

The 3G and BWA auctions: about ₹1.06 lakh crore Auction

3G: 9 April to 19 May, 34 days, 183 rounds, ₹67,719 croreBWA (2300 MHz): ended 11 June, 117 rounds, ₹38,543 croreInfotel wins BWA spectrum in all 22 circles

No company won 3G spectrum in every circle, so operators later signed roaming pacts that themselves became a legal dispute. Reliance Industries bought Infotel Broadband right after the BWA auction; renamed Reliance Jio, it used the 2300 MHz spectrum for its 4G launch six years later.

10 Jan
2008

The 2G licences are issued Policy

Letters of intent to new applicantsCut-off for applications moved back to 25 September 2007Entry fee based on 2001 pricesFirst-come, first-served

Applicants were told to collect letters of intent and submit payments at short notice the same afternoon, and priority went to those who complied first. With mobile subscriptions exploding, the fee set in 2001 was far below the market value of the spectrum, which later became the core of the case.

2003–
2007

Mobile goes mass market Market

Unified access licences from November 2003Calling party pays from 2003Tariffs fall towards a rupee a minute

Receiving calls became free and new licences let fixed-line players offer mobile services. Subscriptions grew by millions a month, and spectrum, still handed out with licences and linked to subscriber numbers, turned into the most valuable asset in the industry.

2001

Fourth mobile licences sold by auction Auction

Fourth cellular operator licences auctioned circle by circleSpectrum in the 1800 MHz band bundled with the licence

The prices discovered in 2001 became the entry fee charged for new licences for the rest of the decade, including in 2008, long after the market had grown many times over.

Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi, home of the Department of Telecommunications, which runs India’s spectrum auctions. Photo: Ramesh Lalwani, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

1999

New Telecom Policy 1999 Policy

Licence fees move from fixed amounts to a share of revenue from 1 August 1999Operators rescued from unaffordable bids made in 1994–95

Many early operators had bid licence fees they could not pay. The revenue-share model made the business viable but also created the adjusted gross revenue formula that would lead to the 2019 AGR judgment.

31 Jul
1995

India’s first mobile call Market

West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu calls telecom minister Sukh RamModi Telstra network in Kolkata

Licences for the four metros had been awarded in 1994 and for other circles in 1995 through bidding. Handsets cost tens of thousands of rupees, and coverage was limited to city centres.

A Nokia 1011, an early GSM handset from 1993. Mobile phones of this era cost tens of thousands of rupees when Indian services began in 1995. Photo: Jkbw, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

May
1994

National Telecom Policy 1994 Policy

Private companies allowed into basic and mobile servicesTwo mobile operators per circleCountry divided into telecom circles

The policy ended the state monopoly and created the circle system still used for licences and auctions today.

🔨 Interactive: Pick an Auction

Choose a year to see how much India’s spectrum auction raised, what was sold and what stood out.

Bids received–

What was sold–

What stood out–

How Much Each Auction Raised

Two peaks, 2015 and 2022, and two troughs, the court-ordered 2012 round and the renewal-only 2024 round. Totals are bids, much of it payable in instalments over up to 20 years.

Every Major Auction at a Glance

Bids received, as reported by the Department of Telecommunications and PIB.

Auction	Bands	Rounds	Sold	Bids (₹ crore)
Apr–May 2010 (3G)	2100 MHz	183	71 blocks in 22 circles	67,719
May–Jun 2010 (BWA)	2300 MHz	117	Two blocks per circle	38,543
Nov 2012	1800, 800 MHz	–	Part of offer; four circles unsold in 1800	9,408
Feb 2014	900, 1800 MHz	68	399.2 MHz	61,162
Mar 2015	800, 900, 1800, 2100 MHz	115	–	1,09,874
Oct 2016	700–2500 MHz (7 bands)	31	965 MHz of ~2,355 MHz	65,789
Mar 2021	700–2500 MHz (7 bands)	6	855.6 MHz of 2,308.8 MHz	77,815
Jul–Aug 2022	600 MHz–26 GHz (10 bands)	40	51,236 MHz of 72,098 MHz	1,50,173
Jun 2024	800 MHz–26 GHz (8 bands)	7	141.4 MHz	11,341

The pattern is clear: auctions raise big sums when operators have to buy, because licences are expiring or a new technology is arriving, and little when they don’t. The 2015 round was driven by expiring 900 MHz licences, 2022 by 5G. In 2012, 2016 and 2024, high reserve prices or weak need left much of the spectrum on the table.

Which Band Does What?

📡 Interactive: Which Band Does What?

Pick a frequency band to see what it is used for and how it has fared at auction.

Role–

Auction record–

In practice–

2G, 3G, 4G and 5G: How Each Generation Got Its Spectrum

Generation	What changed for users	Main spectrum	Policy story
2G	Digital voice, SMS, basic data	900 and 1800 MHz	Licences with bundled spectrum; the 2008 allocation and the 2012 cancellation
3G	Faster data, video calls	2100 MHz	The 2010 auction set a market price for spectrum
4G	Mobile broadband, video, UPI-era apps	800, 1800, 2300 MHz and others	Liberalised spectrum from 2014; Jio’s 2016 launch
5G	More capacity, lower latency, private networks	3300 MHz, 26 GHz, 700 MHz	The record 2022 auction; weak demand since

Generations overlap. Operators run several technologies at once and move spectrum between them; a new generation does not make older spectrum worthless.

The 2G Case: Two Different Questions

Supreme Court, 2012

Was the allocation lawful?

No. The court found the 2008 process arbitrary, quashed 122 licences and ordered auctions. This is settled law.

CBI court, 2017

Did anyone commit a crime?

Not proved. All accused were acquitted for lack of evidence. The CBI’s appeal was admitted by the Delhi High Court in 2024 and is pending.

CAG, 2010

How much was lost?

Up to ₹1.76 lakh crore on its highest estimate, a presumptive figure based on later prices, not a measured loss.

Policy legacy

What changed?

Auctions became the default for mobile spectrum, later written into the Telecommunications Act 2023.

How Spectrum Auctions Affect India

Government revenue: auctions have brought in about ₹5.9 lakh crore in bids since 2010, though most is paid in instalments.
Competition: high prices and AGR dues helped shrink the market from about a dozen operators to three private ones plus state-owned BSNL and MTNL.
Prices for users: spectrum is one cost among many; Indian mobile data stayed among the world’s cheapest even after the record 2022 auction.
Coverage: low-band spectrum such as 700 MHz reaches rural areas; TRAI’s 2026 plan offers a discount for building in coverage gaps.
Public trust: open bidding replaced the discretion that produced the 2G case.

What Comes Next

The government holds TRAI’s blueprint for a nine-band auction, but the buyers are not in a hurry. Jio and Airtel are still earning a return on their 2022 spectrum and have focused on raising revenue per user rather than buying more, while Vodafone Idea, now almost half owned by the government, has limited money for bidding. The likely triggers for the next sale are a shift to 5G Standalone networks, a decision on the 6 GHz band after the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 and the renewal of spectrum bought in earlier rounds.

Meanwhile, the most watched spectrum decision is one that involves no auction: the Cabinet’s approval of charges for satellite broadband, which will decide when Starlink, OneWeb and Jio’s satellite service can start selling in India.

Question	Where it stands (October 2026)
Next mobile spectrum auction	TRAI recommendations of 24 February 2026 with DoT; reports say no auction this year
600 MHz band	Unsold in 2022; easier payment terms proposed
Upper 6 GHz band	Reserved for mobile; auction to be reconsidered after WRC-27
Satellite spectrum	Administrative assignment; DCC approved 5% of AGR on 3 September 2026; Cabinet decision pending
2G criminal appeal	CBI appeal against 2017 acquittals pending in the Delhi High Court
Vodafone Idea	Government holds about 48.99% after converting spectrum dues

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a spectrum auction?

A spectrum auction is a sale in which the government lets telecom companies bid for the right to use specific radio frequencies in specific areas for a fixed period, usually 20 years in India. Each band is sold circle by circle, starting from a reserve price set on the basis of TRAI’s recommendations, and the highest bids win.

Why is spectrum important for mobile networks?

Every call, message and data session travels over radio frequencies, and only a limited amount of usable spectrum exists. Low bands such as 700, 800 and 900 MHz travel far and reach indoors, so they suit coverage. Mid and high bands such as 3300 MHz and 26 GHz carry far more data over shorter distances, so they suit capacity and 5G.

How does India auction spectrum?

The Department of Telecommunications issues a Notice Inviting Applications, eligible companies deposit earnest money, and an online simultaneous multiple round ascending auction runs until no bidder raises a price. Spectrum is sold for each of 22 licensed service areas, or telecom circles. Winners can pay upfront or in annual instalments.

What was the 2G spectrum case?

In January 2008 the telecom ministry issued new licences bundled with 2G spectrum on a first-come, first-served basis, at an entry fee based on prices from 2001. The Comptroller and Auditor General estimated a presumptive loss of up to ₹1.76 lakh crore in November 2010, and in February 2012 the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences issued from 10 January 2008.

What did the CAG say about the 2G allocation?

Its November 2010 report on the issue of licences and allocation of 2G spectrum estimated presumptive losses ranging up to ₹1.76 lakh crore, using different benchmarks including the 2010 3G auction prices. It was an estimate of revenue foregone under certain assumptions, not a finding that money had been stolen.

Why did the Supreme Court cancel 122 licences in 2012?

On 2 February 2012 the Supreme Court held that the January 2008 grant of licences and spectrum was arbitrary and unconstitutional, citing the change to the cut-off date and the first-come, first-served method. It quashed 122 licences issued on or after 10 January 2008 and directed that spectrum be allotted through auction.

Were the accused in the 2G case convicted?

No. On 21 December 2017 a special CBI court acquitted all the accused, including former telecom minister A. Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, saying the prosecution had failed to prove its case. The CBI appealed in March 2018, and the Delhi High Court admitted the appeal on 22 March 2024. The appeal was pending as of October 2026.

Is the 2012 cancellation the same as the criminal case?

No. The Supreme Court’s 2012 judgment dealt with whether the allocation process was lawful and cancelled the licences. The CBI court’s 2017 verdict dealt with whether specific people committed crimes. A process can be found arbitrary without any individual being proved guilty, so the two outcomes do not contradict each other.

When was the 3G auction held in India?

The 3G auction ran from 9 April to 19 May 2010, lasted 34 days and 183 rounds, and raised ₹67,719 crore for the 2100 MHz band. A separate broadband wireless access auction in the 2300 MHz band ended on 11 June 2010 and raised ₹38,543 crore. Together they brought in about ₹1.06 lakh crore.

Which company won pan-India BWA spectrum in 2010?

Infotel Broadband Services was the only bidder to win 2300 MHz broadband wireless spectrum in all 22 circles. Reliance Industries bought Infotel soon after the auction, and the company later became Reliance Jio, which used that spectrum, along with later purchases, to launch its 4G network in 2016.

How much did the 2022 5G auction raise?

The auction, held from 26 July to 1 August 2022, received bids worth ₹1,50,173 crore, the highest ever from a single Indian spectrum auction. Of 72,098 MHz offered across 10 bands, 51,236 MHz, or 71%, was sold. Reliance Jio bid about ₹88,078 crore, Bharti Airtel about ₹43,084 crore, Vodafone Idea about ₹18,799 crore and Adani Data Networks about ₹212 crore.

When did 5G launch in India?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services on 1 October 2022 at the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi. By 31 October 2024, according to the government, 5G was available in 779 of India’s 783 districts, and more than 4.6 lakh 5G base stations had been installed.

Why did the 2024 spectrum auction raise so little?

The June 2024 auction raised ₹11,340.78 crore because operators had bought large amounts of 5G spectrum in 2022 and were still trying to earn a return on it. They bid mainly to renew expiring 900 MHz and 1800 MHz holdings. No bids came in for 800 MHz, 2300 MHz, 3300 MHz or 26 GHz, and 141.4 MHz was sold.

Who bought spectrum in the 2024 auction?

Bharti Airtel bought 97 MHz for ₹6,856.76 crore, Vodafone Idea 30 MHz for ₹3,510.40 crore and Reliance Jio 14.4 MHz for ₹973.62 crore, all in the 900, 1800, 2100 and 2500 MHz bands. Most of the money went on renewing spectrum whose 20-year term was expiring.

Is there a spectrum auction in 2026?

Not as of October 2026. TRAI recommended an auction of all available spectrum in nine bands on 24 February 2026, but reports on 15 October 2026 said the government had decided not to hold one this year because operators are focused on earning from existing networks and cutting debt. Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said an auction will be held when demand returns.

What did TRAI recommend in February 2026?

TRAI recommended auctioning the entire available spectrum in the 600, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500 and 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands, reported at about 11,790 MHz. It proposed halving the net-worth requirement for new entrants to ₹50 crore per circle, easier terms for 600 MHz and a discount of up to 10% for building towers in coverage gaps.

What is the 600 MHz band and why has it never sold?

The 600 MHz band carries signals over long distances and deep into buildings, making it useful for rural coverage. But the equipment and handset ecosystem for it is small, and the reserve price was high, so it drew no bids in 2022. TRAI’s 2026 plan offers a 24-year term, a four-year payment moratorium and a 5% upfront payment to change that.

Will satellite internet spectrum be auctioned?

No. The Telecommunications Act 2023 lists satellite services among those that get spectrum through an administrative process instead of an auction. TRAI recommended a charge of 4% of adjusted gross revenue in May 2025. The Digital Communications Commission approved the framework, with a 5% levy, on 3 September 2026; Cabinet approval was still pending in October 2026.

What was the AGR judgment of 2019?

On 24 October 2019 the Supreme Court upheld the telecom department’s wide definition of adjusted gross revenue, which is used to calculate licence fees and spectrum usage charges. Operators suddenly owed about ₹1.47 lakh crore in past dues, interest and penalties. In September 2020 the court allowed them to pay over 10 years. The ruling hit Vodafone Idea hardest.

What were the 2021 telecom reforms?

Announced on 15 September 2021, they removed spectrum usage charges on spectrum bought in future auctions, raised the term of future spectrum to 30 years, allowed spectrum to be surrendered after 10 years, offered a four-year moratorium on dues and allowed 100% foreign direct investment through the automatic route. The government says they helped the 2022 auction.

Why does the government own nearly half of Vodafone Idea?

Because it converted dues into shares. In 2023 the government became Vodafone Idea’s largest shareholder by converting interest on deferred spectrum and AGR payments, and in March 2025 it converted a further ₹36,950 crore of spectrum dues, raising its stake to about 48.99%. Vodafone Group and the Aditya Birla Group remain the promoters.

How much has India earned from spectrum auctions?

Adding the main auctions gives roughly ₹5.9 lakh crore of bids from 2010 to 2024: about ₹1.06 lakh crore in 2010, ₹9,408 crore in 2012, ₹61,162 crore in 2014, ₹1.10 lakh crore in 2015, ₹65,789 crore in 2016, ₹77,815 crore in 2021, ₹1.50 lakh crore in 2022 and ₹11,341 crore in 2024. Much of it is paid in instalments over many years.

Conclusion: From Scandal to Market, and a Pause

India’s spectrum policy moved from licences handed out with spectrum to a market in which every megahertz is bid for. The shift was forced by the 2G case, and it has raised large sums, supported one of the fastest 5G rollouts anywhere and made the allocation of a public resource far more transparent.

But the 2024 slump and the 2026 pause show the limits of the model: an auction can only sell what operators need and can afford. The test now is whether the next round, whenever it comes, is designed for coverage and competition as much as for revenue.

Sources & further reading

Every dated entry above was checked against these references. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.