NEW DELHI, Dec 29 (Reuters) - India has deferred a global auction of third-generation wireless spectrum by around two weeks, a leading telecoms industry official said on Monday.
T.V. Ramachandran, director general of the Cellular Operators' Association of India, which represents nine mobile operators, said he had been told the auction would now take place at the end of January, instead of mid-month.
'That's what I have been told,' Ramachandran said, without elaborating, when asked if there had been a delay. The government had set a date of Jan. 16 for the auction to begin.
A telecoms ministry spokesman, when contacted by Reuters, could not comment immediately.
Ramachandran said the deadline for auction applications had been extended by 15 days to Jan. 20, from Jan. 5 set earlier.
An official with a leading Indian telecoms firm, who did not want to be named, said he had heard about the delay, and that he expected a government statement by the end of the day.
India plans to auction 3G wireless spectrum in 20 of its 22 service areas and has said firms could bid for four 3G slots in most of the regions.
The telecoms minister expects the auction to generate revenues of 300-400 billion rupees ($6.2-$8.3 billion), and an official in his ministry has doused fears the global financial crisis would lead to sharply lower bids.
($1=48.4 rupees)
(Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy, Editing by Mark Williams) Keywords: INDIA TELECOMS/3G (devidutta.tripathy@thomsonreuters.com; +91 11 4178 1009; Reuters Messaging: devidutta.tripathy.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
T.V. Ramachandran, director general of the Cellular Operators' Association of India, which represents nine mobile operators, said he had been told the auction would now take place at the end of January, instead of mid-month.
'That's what I have been told,' Ramachandran said, without elaborating, when asked if there had been a delay. The government had set a date of Jan. 16 for the auction to begin.
A telecoms ministry spokesman, when contacted by Reuters, could not comment immediately.
Ramachandran said the deadline for auction applications had been extended by 15 days to Jan. 20, from Jan. 5 set earlier.
An official with a leading Indian telecoms firm, who did not want to be named, said he had heard about the delay, and that he expected a government statement by the end of the day.
India plans to auction 3G wireless spectrum in 20 of its 22 service areas and has said firms could bid for four 3G slots in most of the regions.
The telecoms minister expects the auction to generate revenues of 300-400 billion rupees ($6.2-$8.3 billion), and an official in his ministry has doused fears the global financial crisis would lead to sharply lower bids.
($1=48.4 rupees)
(Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy, Editing by Mark Williams) Keywords: INDIA TELECOMS/3G (devidutta.tripathy@thomsonreuters.com; +91 11 4178 1009; Reuters Messaging: devidutta.tripathy.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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