3gAuction
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India's 3G auction draws to a close
It's been a long time coming, but after countless delays in getting the auction underway, bidding on nationwide 3G spectrum in the world's second most populous market has ended -- and four companies appear to have come out on top. Most of the Indian markets only had three licenses available, so you'll likely be doing some roaming if you travel much, but Reliance, Bharti, Aircel, and Tata have all come away with significant swaths of airspace. And how much did it end up costing for the privilege of delivering high-speed wireless 'round these parts? After kicking off India-wide bidding for one slot at 35 billion rupees (about $773 million), the auction wrapped up at 167.51 billion rupees ($3.7 billion) after some 183 rounds of bidding in just over a month. Now, the hard part: actually building those 3G networks. Chop chop, guys!
Mexican 3G auction attracts phalanx of bidders
Mexican wireless regulator COFETEL probably has peso signs in its eyes this week on news that 17 -- yes, fully seventeen different firms have filed the requisite paperwork to participate in upcoming auctions for 3G services in the 1900MHz and AWS ranges. Officials are hoping to spur 3G competition with the move -- and certainly competition doesn't seem to be a problem here, what with 17 different firms trying to get in on the action -- with bidding wrapping up on May 25 and winners being announced 30 days thereafter. As you might expect, all four of the country's major wireless operators (America Movil, Telefonica, Iusacell, and Nextel) are signed up, but other participants include cable companies and landline operators, so we could potentially see a fifth major wireless player in the mix by the time all is said and done.
