India to auction 3G telecom spectrum by end-2009

India will hold a delayed auction of third-generation (3G) wireless spectrum by the end of this year, the telecoms minister said on said on Monday.

India was to have auctioned the radio airwaves in January, but the sale was put off after the finance ministry sought a doubling of the floor price, citing the high valuations of telecoms stake sales around that time.

"Definitely... in 2009 itself," Andimuthu Raja told reporters when asked when the sale would be completed.

The telecoms ministry had forecast the auction would raise up to 400 billion rupees ($8.5 billion). The proceeds would help the government bridge the fiscal deficit, which rose to 6.2 percent of GDP in the 2008/09 fiscal year that ended on March 31.

However, Raja would not be drawn on how much the government expected to raise, saying market conditions had changed.

"Because of the meltdown, because of the slowdown in the economy ... I can not assess the situation now," Raja said.

"I am going to consult the finance minister within a couple of days."

Third-generation wireless services allow voice, data and video to be transmitted at high speeds to mobile devices, and are seen as the next growth driver for telecoms firms in India, the world's fastest growing mobile market.


Source: in.reuters.com

4 Cellular Companies not Interested in 3G: Claims APP

http://www.propakistani.com/2009/05/08/4-cellular-companies-not-interested-in-3g-claims-app/



Four out of five cellular companies have shown reservations over issuance of 3G license at this point of time, and they may not participate in bidding at all, reported APP, citing PTA officials.

Report further says that after this denial from four telecom companies, players from international markets have contacted PTA while showing their interest in Pakistani 3G license. These international telecom companies include Vodafone, Qatar Telecom, Malaysia Telecom, Singtel and others.

Report clearly mentions that Mobilink, Ufone, Warid and China Mobile have staged themselves not ready for 3G deployment for multiple reasons.

3G cell phones to be in-thing within months

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LAHORE: The third generation (3G) mobile service will soon be available in the country, says Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman Dr Muhammad Yaseen.

‘The policy-making process for 3G mobile licensing is under way and the service is likely to be launched within the next five months or so,’ Dr Yaseen told newsmen at the second Global TeleCon 2009 at a local hotel on Saturday.

The PTA chairman said that after deregulation, the telecom sector was making progress. The sector had been providing basic services to 95 per cent of its consumers and required innovation and should now offer value-added services. However, the penetration of the telecom sector in the broadband field was not up to the expectations.

’Ironically, the sector could not provide broadband service in rural areas of the country where the same is required,’ said Dr Yaseen.

Answering a question, the PTA chairman said no unregistered SIM of mobile phones was operating in the country at present. During the campaign launched by the PTA, some 11 million unregistered mobile phone SIMs had been blocked

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited Senior Executive Vice-President Sikandar Naqvi said through mobile medical units, healthcare services were being provided to the PTCL employees and residents of remote areas where such facilities were not easily accessible.

To a question, he said the PTCL would never go into any kind of price war because the aim of the company was to revolutionise data industry. The focus of the PTCL had been on education sector and in pursuance of this policy, special packages to schools and other educational institutions were being offered. Earlier, Dr Yaseen highlighted the flexibility in the existing telecom policy that accommodated rapid changes and enabled revolutionary advancements.

Speaking as chief guest at the conference, the PTA chairman stressed the need to respond quickly to global telecom transformations with regulations that could suit all players but in overall context favour economic growth and consumer satisfaction in the country.

Higher Education Commission Executive Director Prof Dr Sohail Naqvi said in his keynote speech the use of advanced technology for ease of communication should be beneficial for overall social and educational development of users. He appreciated the positive social change brought about by the robust progress in the telecom sector.

TeleCon 2009 chairman Menin Rodrigues in his welcome speech expressed the optimism that the capabilities of Pakistan’s telecom industry would help steer the country towards a sustainable economic growth.

The day-long conference was participated in by Federal Board of Investment Secretary Tariq Iqbal Puri, former ministers Javed Jabbar and Tariq Ikram, Nust School of Engineering and Computer Technology Director-General Prof Dr Arshad Ali, Virtual University Rector Dr Naveed Malik, PTA member technical Dr Khawar Siddique Khokhar and services division director-general Talib Dogar besides senior officers of telecom companies.