With the ongoing 3G spectrum auction process nearing completion, the provisional winning price for pan-India licence on Wednesday crossed Rs. 11,000 crore after the completion of 128 rounds.
At current prices, the government would earn over Rs. 45,000 crore from 3G auction alone against the targeted revenue of Rs. 35,000 crore from both 3G and wireless broadband auction.
Mumbai leads
Mumbai remains the costliest telecom circle at Rs. 1,909 crore, followed by Delhi at Rs. 1,845 crore, Maharashtra at Rs. 1,051 crore and Karnataka at Rs. 1,030 crore.
The other circles among 22 service areas that are keenly watched include Andhra Pradesh (Rs. 959 crore), Tamil Nadu (Rs. 948 crore) and Gujarat (Rs. 926 crore).
After completion of the 3G auction, which might take another two to three days, bidding for wireless broadband (BWA) will begin.
It will again be a keenly contested affair as 11 players are in the fray for just two slots for each circle, while the reserve price for pan-India licence is Rs. 1,750 crore..
