India sells mobile spectrum through online auctions run by the Department of Telecommunications on TRAI's advice, the rule since the Supreme Court cancelled 12…
Private operators won licences under the 1994 telecom policy. Jyoti Basu made India's first mobile call on 31 July 1995.
New licences with 2G spectrum were issued first-come, first-served at 2001 prices. The CAG later estimated a loss of up to ₹1.76 lakh crore.
The 3G auction raised ₹67,719 crore in 183 rounds, and the BWA auction ₹38,543 crore. Infotel, later Jio, won BWA spectrum everywhere.
It called the 2008 allocation arbitrary, cancelled 122 licences and ordered spectrum to be auctioned.
A CBI court acquitted A. Raja, Kanimozhi and all others. The CBI's appeal was admitted by the Delhi High Court in 2024 and is pending.
51,236 MHz of 72,098 MHz offered was sold in 40 rounds, the most ever raised in one Indian auction. 5G launched on 1 October 2022.
Operators already had their 5G spectrum. They mainly renewed expiring airwaves, and four bands drew no bids at all.
TRAI proposed selling nine bands in February 2026, but reports say no auction will be held this year. Satellite spectrum will be assigned, not auctioned.
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