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Jio Likely to be lead bidder in 5G spectrum and may conclude tomorrow

IndiaJio Likely to be lead bidder in 5G spectrum and may conclude tomorrow

As the 5G spectrum auction bidding is on day 2, Jio is likely to be the lead bidder, and is possible to conclude tomorrow itself.

5G Spectrum auction on day 2 broke the 2015 records, the first day of the 5G auction on the opening day and saw the government receive bids of Rs 1.45 lakh crore from the four contenders, said Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The auction entails the 600, 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500, 3300 MHz and 26GHz bands.  It was a fantastic response from players on the opening day, the 5G spectrum auctions entered the second day on Wednesday, with the fifth round of bidding currently underway.

The day-two of the bidding process began at 10 AM and it is widely expected to conclude much ahead of the scheduled closing time of 6 PM. Firms run by tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Gautam Adani bid about Rs 1.45 lakh crore to buy fifth-generation (5G) airwaves on the opening day on Tuesday.

In all the auction is being held for spectrum in various low (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz), mid (3,300 MHz) and high (26 GHz) frequency bands. A total of 72 GHz (gigahertz) of radiowaves worth at least Rs 4.3 lakh crore is up for bidding. The auction will continue on Wednesday and is likely to conclude tomorrow itself.

5G spectrum sales net record Rs 1.45 lakh crore on day 1 where government netted a record Rs 1.45 lakh crore on the first day of 5G spectrum sale on Tuesday, much higher than the Rs 1.1 lakh crore it made in 2015.

The coveted high-speed services are anticipated to be offered across top cities from September-October.

“The swashbuckling response has shown that all previous records achieved in the spectrum sale will be broken. We expect 5G services to begin later this year, and this will result in fresh investments, new jobs, and much better quality of services in the telecom sector,” communications and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio is expected to have contributed to the surge in collections, with Airtel and Vodafone Idea following behind. New entrant Gautam Adani had gone for a modest opening in his telecom debut — that he insisted is only in the enterprise space and not consumer mobility — with just a Rs 100 crore earnest money deposit (EMD) towards the sale process.

The key process of 5G spectrum sales had begun a few months back, after regulator Trai submitted its recommendations on the matter. But it got embroiled in controversy very quickly when existing telecom companies Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (represented by industry lobby COAI) protested the opening of private captive networks to non-telecom companies.

Vaishnaw had said. “We are hoping to launch 5G services for the common man across many key cities by September-October this year. This will be a huge upgrade to India’s telecom ecosystem.”

Does 5G technology have any effects on health?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is narrow research on the frequencies used in 5G.

To date, EMFs (electromagnetic fields) have been potentially associated with:

Tissue heating:  A small 2017 study showed that mobile phones use frequencies of 1.8 to 2.2 GHz. These frequencies cause tissue heating, according to WHO.

Tissue heating occurs when your skin absorbs electromagnetic energy. This causes a slight rise in temperature in your brain and body.

A 2021 study also found that people experience more EMF-related tissue heating as they get older. Plus, the higher the EMFs, the more they absorb. That’s because older individuals tend to have reduced skin thickness and blood flow.

However, tissue heating is considered to be short-term and minimal. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also states that the public is exposed to very low frequencies of EMFs. These levels are too low to cause considerable tissue heating.

More research is necessary to determine how 5G specifically affects human tissue.

Cognitive function:  The effects of 5G exposure on cognitive function have not been studied yet.

There’s some research involving EMFs from other sources. In a small 2017 study researchers examined how using a mobile phone affects cognitive function. The researchers found that using a mobile phone for at least 90 minutes a day is associated with attention difficulties.

A small 2018 research review found conflicting evidence. The researchers examined 43 studies regarding EMFs and cognitive function. They concluded that there is no solid link between EMFs and cognitive concerns.

Cancer:  In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) stated EMFs are “possibly carcinogenic” to humans. The classification was determined by 30 scientists from 14 countries.

To date, most studies have examined the potential link between EMFs and brain cancer. But the results have been inconsistent.

For example, a 2017 research review found that EMF radiation from mobile phones are associated with glioma, a type of brain cancer. A 2018 study, on the other hand, did not find a clear association between high-frequency EMFs and brain tumors.

Again, more studies are needed to determine if 5G frequency can contribute to cancer development.

Most research has involved mice or rats. For example, a 2019 animal study found that EMFs from mobile phones are linked to DNA damage in mice and rats. Another 2016 animal study found that EMFs of any frequency can harm the nervous system.

A 2020 research review also examined how EMFs affect organisms like snails and frogs. The researchers determined that it is unclear if EMFs have negative effects on animals.

More research is necessary to determine how 5G affects animals, if at all.  On the whole, 5G is still regarded with fear and suspicion by half of the knowledgeable world.

In January 2022, many international airlines inc. Air India cancels flights to the US in protest over the 5G issue.

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