Adani Data Networks, a unit of Adani Group, has received a unified licence from the Department of Telecommunications in six circles of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Mumbai.
The company was earlier issued the letter of intent for a unified license. Now, it is eligible to carry long-distance calls on its network and offer internet services.
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The licence would also help the company with its data centre business where data needs to be transferred within the country as well as outside.
In the absence of such a license, Adani Group would have had to use the services of telecom operators to transfer data for which it has to pay carriage charges.
The company, however, has time and again clarified that it does not intend to offer retail telecom services and has bought the 5G spectrum for setting up its private 5G network.
“We are participating in the 5G spectrum auction to provide private network solutions along with enhanced cyber security in the airport, ports & logistics, power generation, transmission, distribution, and various manufacturing operations,” the company had said.
The long-distance licence would open a revenue stream for Adani Group because it can carry data as well as voice traffic for telcos as well as other enterprises.
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In the 5G spectrum auctions, Adani Data bought a 400 MHz spectrum in the 26 GHz band for `212 crore. The company has 100 MHz of 5G spectrum each in Gujarat and Mumbai and 50 MHz each in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
While the company has said that it does not intend to offer consumer mobility or retail telecom services, some industry experts believe that even if the company changes its plans going forward, no one can stop it to offer consumer mobility services.