When it comes to 5G in India, which is set to be rolled out in India soon, it seems Bharti Airtel is the most proactive. The telco, which bid for and acquired 19867.8 MHZ spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz frequency in the recent 5G spectrum auctions at a cost of Rs 43,084 crore, has already got the allocation letter from the government - probably the first to get it (Reliance Jio and VodafoneIdea being the other two telcos in the fray. Adanis bid for private 5G networks).
Not just content with making the early noises, the company is also making all the right noises that the Indian government would want to hear. Sunil Bharti Mittal, the founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, today was all praise for the Indian government's ease of doing business initiative.
His comments came after the company received an allocation letter for the designated 5G frequency bands 'within hours of making payments'.
From demonstrating India’s first 5G experience over a live 4G network in Hyderabad to India’s first rural 5G trial to the first cloud gaming experience on 5G to the successful deployment of India’s first captive private network on the trial spectrum, Airtel has set the pace in the industry. Airtel 5G will be present all over the country, but it would most probably start the 5G service in key cities first.
Gushing praise from Sunil Bharti Mittal
Bharti Airtel on Wednesday had said that it has remitted Rs 8,312.4 crore to the Department of Telecom (DoT) as the payment for four years of 5G spectrum dues upfront. Over the last one year, Airtel has also cleared Rs 24,333.7 crore of its deferred spectrum liabilities much ahead of scheduled maturities.
Airtel said that this upfront payment coupled with the moratorium on spectrum dues and AGR related payments for four years will free up future cash flows and allow Airtel to dedicate resources to single-mindedly concentrate on the 5G roll out.
"Airtel paid Rs 8,312.4 crore towards spectrum dues and was provided the allocation letter for the designated frequency bands within hours. E band allocation was given along with spectrum as promised," Sunil Mittal said in a statement today (Thursday).
"No fuss, no follow up, no running around the corridors and no tall claims. This is ease of doing business at work in its full glory," he added. This, he said, was a first in his 30-years of business experience.
"Leadership at work, right at the top and at the helm of telecom. What a change! Change that can transform this nation - power its dreams to be a developed nation," he added.
The gushing words from Airtel group head honcho is also a message to Reliance Jio, which group is seen to be close to the powers that be. Now, Airtel is also trying to get up close with the government. But all in all, if the 5G rollout is successful, it is good news for the end users.
