The government of India has set a new date for the start of the 3G spectrum auctions – April 9th, in hope to raise 350 billion rupees ($7.5 billion). Today, the government will issue a formal notice, setting a March 19 deadline for submissions of interest.
The auctions would be held for 20 of India’s 22 telecoms zones, with four slots being available for most of the zones (excluding Delhi and Gujarat, for instance). All-India spectrum starts at 35 billion rupees ($760 million), but bids are expected to come between $1 billion and $1.5 billion, according to analysts.
India’s incumbent operators such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Vodafone Essar will participate in the all-India spectrum, whereas Telenor said it will bid for select zones, only.
In addition, some other telcos may also participate — AT&T, Australia’s Telstra and South Korea’s SK Telecom.
Broadband wireless access auctions are set to start two days after the close of the 3G auction…
[Via: Reuters]