Airtel, Videocon to bid for spectrum; RIL, Sistema stay away

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-run RIL, sitting on a cash-pile of Rs 79,159 crore, was widely anticipated to bid in the November auction of airwaves to complement its wireless broadband services with voice call facility.

But RIL, like Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Communications, has not submitted application to participate in the bidding, according to sources. The deadline for submission of applications ended this evening.

Videocon Industries, which had in 2008 got pan-India 2G or second-generation spectrum for Rs 1,658 crore, has submitted applications to bid for both GSM and CDMA technologies.

It is being intensely speculated that Videocon may join hands with RIL after the auction with firm's Chairman Venugopal Dhoot confirming his group's "friendship" with the Mukesh Ambani-run firm and not ruling out any future possibility.

"We have been having very good friendship with RIL. We are always getting advise from them. I don't commit (what will happen in future) but Mukesh Ambani's advise will continue. Yesterday only I met him," Dhoot told a TV channel.

RIL had not bid for BWA spectrum in 2010 but later went on to acquire Infotel Broadband which had won a pan-India spectrum for offering high-speed Internet services. Broadband does not has permission to provide voice calling facility.

Another surprise was Sistema, which decided against the participation saying that it has been "unfairly penalised" by the February order of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had cancelled 122 licences, including 21 of Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd -- the Russian firm's Indian joint venture. Videocon's 21 permits were also among those cancelled.

Norway's Telenor, whose 22 licences with Indian joint venture with realty firm Unitech were among those cancelled, has applied as an independent entity. MORE