India will hold a 4G auction next year, the government’s telecom minister announced today.
“We are going to auction the 700MHz band…by 2014,” said Kapil Sibal, quoted in the Economic Times. Spectrum in the 700MHz frequency range can be used for…
India will hold a 4G auction next year, the government’s telecom minister announced today.
“We are going to auction the 700MHz band…by 2014,” said Kapil Sibal, quoted in the Economic Times. Spectrum in the 700MHz frequency range can be used for 4G and high-speed internet services.
The news of a 4G auction comes before dates have been set for upcoming 2G and 3G auctions in the country.
India first held a 2G auction in 2008, but the process was swathed in scandal following claims that licences were illegally granted. A second 2G auction was held in November, but another 2G auction is due to be held in March following a muted response to November’s spectrum sale.
The legacy of the auction scandal has been a delay in India’s technological progress compared to neighbouring Asian countries, some of which have already implemented 3G services.
International telcos have experienced further problems operating in the market, notably Vodafone India, which has had a long-running dispute with the government regarding retrospective tax for cross-border transactions.
The Indian arm of the telco group has previously refuted the government’s demands for over US$2bn in tax, but discussions took place last week which are hoped to result in an agreement, according to media reports.
