Indian telco Bharti Airtel and its subsidiary Bharti Hexacom Limited have announced an agreement to acquire 5G spectrum from Adani Data Networks.

The carrier said it will acquire the use of 400 MHz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band in Gujarat (100 MHz), Mumbai (100 MHz), Andhra Pradesh (50 MHz), Rajasthan (50 MHz), Karnataka (50 MHz), and Tamil Nadu (50 MHz).

India 5G
– Getty Images

Airtel didn't disclose the value of the proposed transaction.

Adani Data Networks, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, acquired the spectrum during a 2022 spectrum auction.

However, the spectrum has gone unused, and the company faced scrutiny over its delayed 5G rollout from the Indian government.

The company's decision to sell the spectrum represents a move away from the telecom spectrum sector for Adani.

Adani Group spent close to $27 million on 400 MHz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band, with the ambition of using the spectrum to provide 5G private services.

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio launched 5G services in India in October 2022, before Vodafone Idea finally launched its 5G network last month.

Airtel has grown its 5G subscriber base to more than 120 million customers.

Subscribe to The Telecoms & Connectivity Channel for regular news round-ups, market reports, and more.