Govt expects revenue from 3G sale to touch Rs 40K crore

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) India's Telecom Ministry expects
revenue from sale of 3G telephony spectrum to touch Rs 40,000
crore, beating the government's initial estimate of garnering
Rs 35,000 crore from both 3G and Broadband spectrum.

The revenue from 3G (third generation) spectrum alone
would touch Rs 40,000 crore. As of today, revenue (going by
the bids) would cross Rs 35,000 crore, Telecom Minister A Raja
said Tuesday.
He said both 3G and Broadband spectrum put together
might bring in Rs 50,000-55,000 crore of revenue, much above
the Rs 35,000 crore the government had estimated initially.
On the comparison being drawn in certain circles about
revenues from sale of 2G spectrum and 3G, he shot back: "We
can't compare PDS rice with Basmati rice."
The comparisons are "complete rubbish, complete
nonsense." 2G services were for the common man and 3G is aimed
at those requiring value-added services and hence, it was
expected to rake in this level of revenue.
3G services will allow users to download and upload data
on their mobile at higher speeds and stream movies online.
Asked about some analysts calling the price bids
irrational, he said: "There is no ambiguity. It is only some
frustrated forces who are not able to get it (spectrum) who
are spreading this kind of information."
The auction of 3G spectrum began on April nine. Nine
mobile operators are in the fray for three slots of pan-India
spectrum and fourth slot in some circles that are on the
block. PTI SKB
MRD