Mumbai: In the Spectrum Auction conducted by the Department of Telecommunications – Government of India which concluded today, Jio, India’s largest digital services provider, acquired additional spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in Bihar and West Bengal.

With this acquisition, Jio has expanded its 1800 MHz band spectrum in two circles. Jio’s spectrum footprint has increased to 26,801 MHz (uplink + downlink), solidifying its leadership position. Jio has already deployed the largest amount of spectrum pan-India on bandwidth efficient technologies like 4G and 5G, with this incremental spectrum acquired to address geography-specific demand and ensure the highest quality customer experience on its network.

Jio is the only operator in India to have access in low-band, mid-band and high-band (700 MHz, 3300 MHz and 26GHz) spectrum which gives it the unique advantage to provide a superlative experience to customers on 5G.

Akash M Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, said, “We have already demonstrated our commitment to the Digital India Vision by rolling out one of the world’s fastest and widest Stand Alone 5G networks within 12 months of allotment of spectrum. This new spectrum acquisition will continue to enable us serving aspirations of the new India, in terms of growing traffic demands and superior customer experience, which is no longer limited to only urban markets. We want every Indian to enjoy the transformational benefits of Jio’s next generation of digital solutions.”

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF JIO’S SPECTRUM ACQUISITION

Circle-wise details of technology agnostic spectrum acquired in the 1800 MHz band for 20 years are as under:

Circle	MHz (paired)	Cost (Rs Crs)
Bihar	5.0	420.25
West Bengal	9.4	553.38
Total	14.4	973.63

The above numbers are provisional, and subject to DOT confirmation.

As per terms of the spectrum auction, the above spectrum cost can be paid over 20 equated annual instalments, with interest computed at 8.65% per annum. DeshGujarat