Airtel, Vodafone and RCom submit bids for 3G spectrum
18 Mar 2010
Marking the end of a long drawn battle surrounding 3G spectrum allocation, India's foremost telecommunication companies have started submitting bids for 3G spectrum today.
These include the country's largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Reliance Communication.
The successful bidders would be allowed to offer 3G services on a commercial basis from 1 September 2010.
Bharti Airtel and RCOM have applied for 22 circles, while Vodafone is also believed to have submitted the application for 3G licence for pan-India.
The reserve price for pan-India spectrum has been fixed at Rs3,500 crore. The last day for applications to participate in the auction is 19 March. DoT will announce the pre-qualified bidders on 30 March and hold mock auctions on 5 and 6 April.
The government is selling three slots of spectrum across the nation with the exception of a few states where four slots will be on offer.