India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is looking to ask the Supreme Court to delay the planned 2G auction to November, according to an unnamed government official quoted by Reuters.
Originally scheduled for 31 August, this auction is aimed at…
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is looking to ask the Supreme Court to delay the planned 2G auction to November, according to an unnamed government official quoted by Reuters.
Originally scheduled for 31 August, this auction is aimed at allowing operators that will have their 2G licences revoked in early September to bid again for spectrum.
In February, the Supreme Court ordered the cancellation of 122 2G licences, owned by eight Indian mobile operators, after concluding they had been illegally granted in 2008.
But the process has met some delays and the long-awaited decision on auction prices was only announced at the end of last week.
In July, the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on telecoms had already said it would not be able to conduct the auction by the planned deadline.
It is not yet known whether affected carriers will be able to continue providing 2G services until the new spectrum sale has taken place.
Norway’s Telenor, which controls Indian mobile JV Uninor, said today in a statement that “as regards the validity of our licences, the principle of licences continuing until after the auctions has already been established and applied by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India while granting extension on 24 April 2012.”
It added: “Such delays are a matter of concern to us as they prolong the uncertainties we face. We urge the government to conclude the auction process at the earliest. Of course, until any such extension is sought and granted, we have to continue working with the existing deadlines.”
