India’s Bharti Airtel is reportedly close to sealing a deal to acquire Augere Wireless Broadband India for about Rs1.5bn (US$23.6m), in order to fast track its 4G rollout.
While negotiations are advanced, some issues, including regulatory ones,…
India’s Bharti Airtel is reportedly close to sealing a deal to acquire Augere Wireless Broadband India for about Rs1.5bn (US$23.6m), in order to fast track its 4G rollout.
While negotiations are advanced, some issues, including regulatory ones, still need to be resolved, the Economic Times reports.
New Delhi-based Airtel declined to comment, while Augere was not immediately available.
The target is part of Augere Holdings, for which former Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja acts as a representative and corporate director. The Netherland-based company launched wireless broadband internet services in Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2009, but has yet to do so in India. It has licences to operate in the central states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and has tested a pilot, LTE-based wireless network in the former.
Augere initially announced plans to roll out 4G services in India in late 2011, but cancelled them shortly afterwards, citing regulatory concerns. It has reportedly since been seeking to sell its local permit.
Leading telco Airtel agreed to pay Rs293.1bn (US$4.6bn) for spectrum in the latest spectrum auction, and is currently rolling out 4G services in major cities. It is expected to come under increased competitive pressure when billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio launches 4G services, set to take place later this year.
