Airtel set to acquire 400 MHz spectrum in 26 GHz band from Adani Data Networks

Bharti Airtel is set to acquire 400 MHz spectrum in 26 GHz band from Adani Data Networks Limited, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. As part of the definitive agreements, Airtel and its subsidiary Bharti Hexacom will buy rights to use the spectrum in six regions across India. These regions are Mumbai (100 MHz), Gujarat (100 MHz), Rajasthan (50 MHz), Karnataka (50 MHz), Andhra Pradesh (50 MHz) and Tamil Nadu (50 MHz).

The agreement is subject to statutory approvals. The development comes as the Adani Group, which had failed to roll out 5G telecom services more than two years after receiving a unified telecom licence, received queries from the telecom department (DoT) regarding its plan of action, Moneycontrol had previously reported.

As part of the 5G rollout requirements, telecom operators are mandated to commercially launch services in both metro and non-metro circles. This obligation can be met by offering services in just one metro city or in at least one city within a non-metro circle. Adani Data Networks may comply by initiating broadband services in a single location or by establishing data connectivity at one of its ports.