India Telecom Min: All CDMA Cos Have to Bid for 3G Spectrum
NEW DELHI -(Dow Jones)- All Indian telecom companies providing services under the CDMA, technology will have to participate in an auction to get radio bandwidth for third-generation services, Telecommunications Minister A. Raja said Thursday.
India's telecom regulator had earlier said the CDMA player with the most number of subscribers in a service area will get the spectrum to offer 3G services, without bidding for it. However, all operators providing services using global system for mobile technology would have to bid for the spectrum.
He said the government is likely to complete the planned auction for 3G spectrum by the end of October.
"(3G) licenses will be given as soon as the auction is completed. We have asked operators to roll out 3G services by end of this (fiscal) year," Raja said.
-By Romit Guha, Dow Jones Newswires; 91-9900181471; romit.guha@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
Posted to the site on 28th August 2008
