Bharti in talks to buy Qualcomm licences: report

Bharti Airtel is reportedly in advanced discussions with US chipmaker Qualcomm to buy the latter's fourth-generation licences for about Rs6,000 crore, an acquisition that will allow the country's largest telecom services provider to quickly launch 4G services in the key markets of Delhi and Mumbai.

Citing an unnamed person familiar with the matter, The Economic Times said the deal is likely to be closed by June and will be accompanied by technology agreements between Qualcomm and Bharti.

Fourth-generation, or 4G, services offer users internet access at three times the speed of 3G and requires broadband airwaves.

Qualcomm, which had won airwaves in four regions - Mumbai, Delhi, Haryana and Kerala - in the broadband wireless auction of 2010 for Rs4,900 crore, had begun talks to sell its 74-per cent stake in its Indian joint venture to Bharti later that year.

But the talks were put on hold after the telecom department cancelled the US chipmaker's mobile broadband permits last year on the grounds that it had not applied for licences within three months of the auction.

The telecom department further alleged that Qualcomm applied for permits under the names of four different companies, violating auction guidelines that said winners could nominate only one company for obtaining a licence.