Indian conglomerate Adani Group could reportedly return 5G-suitable spectrum it acquired in an auction in 2022, after it faced scrutiny from the country’s telecoms regulator for failing to meet minimum rollout obligations.
Moneycontrol, among other local media outlets, reported the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) sent numerous notices to the group’s telecoms arm Adani Data Networks requesting clarification about its 5G rollout plans.
However, instead of providing details, a source claims the company is in fact considering surrendering the spectrum it acquired in the 26GHz band.
The source asserts the company has not finalised its decision, but believes that deploying private networks across airports, power stations and the logistics sector had “not been deemed commercially viable”.
Adani Data Networks apparently first asked for more time to deploy a private 5G network in April 2023, after it faced the risk of being hit with penalties for failing to meet its obligations.
The parent group spent nearly $27 million for 400MHz of spectrum in the 26GHz band, stating it would use the allocation to provide private 5G services.
While the conglomerate insisted at the time it had no intention of entering the consumer sector, questions were still raised about the potential threat its inclusion in the auction posed to the country’s traditional operators.
Comments