3G pre-bid conference date to be announced this week

The government will announce this week the date for a conference with potential bidders for spectrum for next generation (3G) mobile services, Telecom Minister A Raja said today.

The pre-bid conference would discuss the process and schedule of the auction of spectrum, or radio frequency, to roll out 3G services that would allow data download on mobile phones at greater speed.

Raja said the auction will be held within 90 days from the date of the announcement of the decision by the eGoM.

On the West Bengal government's decision to put on hold allotment of land to IT companies like Infosys and Wipro, he said he will take up the matter with state IT Minister Devesh Das.

"I will take it up with the West Bengal IT Minister and will try to work towards a solution ...Whatever is possible within the federal polity, we will do that", Raja said.

Das, who is in Delhi to attend a function, refused to take any queries from media on the issue and asked reporters to send written queries through the state government's website.

The land allotment was scrapped in the face of allegations of irregularities in setting aside land for a resort.