No date yet; govt to issue clarity on 3G auction in a week

The government today said it will have some "clarity" on the timeline for the auction of 3G spectrum, which has been deferred twice now, within a week, even as it declined to give a set timeline for the bidding.

"We will have some clarity on the issue (auction of third generation radio waves) by the next week...," Telecom Secretary Siddhartha Behura said on the sidelines of a Ficci event.

The auction process for the 3G spectrum has already been deferred twice. First, it was scheduled to take place on December 15 last year but was deferred to January 30.

However, the auction process got postponed again as the finance ministry wanted to double the reserve price for all-India 3G licence from Rs 2,020 crore to Rs 4,040 crore.

In view of the Finance Ministry's suggestion, the Department of Telecom (DoT) had to refer the matter to the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs for a wider view before deciding on the 3G spectrum price.

Telecom players are, however, not complaining about the delay as it gives them more time to arrange money for the auction considering the present downturn in the economy.

Behura added that the during the pre-bid conference telecom operators had asked for some more time.

Earlier in the day, attending another function the telecom secretary told reporters that the government had still not set any timeline for conducting the aution process.
    
"We do not have a timeline (the fresh date for 3G spectrum auction), the Cabinet note for the process is being sent. I cannot comment on the time or the price for bidding," he added.