Vodafone India has been awarded spectrum licences in 14 telecom circles in the Indian government’s 1800 MHz spectrum auction, enabling the company to provide customers with enhanced mobile services across the country, including in rural areas.
Vodafone India bid successfully for 2.5MHz of spectrum in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh West, Haryana, Orissa, North East, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and West Bengal and 1.25MHz in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh East, Maharashtra and Kerala. Vodafone’s total bid in the auction was £138million (INR11.28bn1).The spectrum secured is available for use immediately.
Vodafone’s decision to participate in the 2G auction was to secure additional spectrum in circles where it has not received new 2G spectrum since 2008. Since then, Vodafone’s customer base in India has grown from 60 million to over 150 million today. The additional spectrum and continued network investments will enable Vodafone India to build on its success in delivering superior mobile services to its customers throughout India.