The band drew bids worth Rs 15,390 crore, a source said, which is just over a third of the total bid value.In the 1800 Mhz band, intense bidding was seen in Mumbai and Maharashtra circles, where Tata Teleservices’ unit Tata Teleservices Maharashtra’s airwaves are coming up for renewal in 2017. Other circles including Haryana, Kolkata, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh East, witnessed excess demand.The other 4G band – 800 Mhz – saw bids leading to excess demand in only four circles – Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh East. Demand was tepid in the 2100 Mhz band, primarily used for 3G services in India, and one where top telcos such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea are looking to plug coverage gaps. The 2500 Mhz band also saw limited demand with telcos using it as a backup in case the 2300 Mhz band price goes high.No bidding was seen in the premium 700 Mhz band which is to be auctioned at a reserve or base price of Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz. In earlier auctions, companies were given the option to make 33% upfront payment.For spectrum below 1 Ghz band such as 700 Mhz, 800 Mhz, 900 Mhz, the companies will require to pay 25 per cent upfront and the rest in 10 years after a 2-year moratorium.Government has fixed a pan-India reserve price of Rs 2,873 crore for spectrum in 1,800 MHz band, Rs 3,341 crore for 900 MHz, Rs 5,819 crore for 800 MHz, Rs 3,746 crore for 2,100 MHz, Rs 11,485 crore for 700 MHz and Rs 817 crore each for 2,300 MHz and 2,500 MHz bands.

Source: Economic Times October 01, 2016 16:30 UTC