MNCs may be allowed to offer 3G services

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New Delhi April 25

The auctioning process for the 3G spectrum is set to be announced shortly, with the Government planning to allow new entrants, including MNC players, into the segment.

The Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, said that decks have been cleared for the 3G Spectrum Allocation Policy, with the Air Force agreeing to vacate 42.5 Mhz by July for civilian use for both 2G and 3G services.

"We will soon be coming out with the 3G spectrum allocation policy, which is part of the Broadband Policy... Additional spectrum will be available in July," Mr Maran told Business Line.

Mr Maran said he expected new players, including MNC telecom operators, to enter the fray for offering 3G services. The 3G (third generation mobile telephony) technology would allow mobile service providers to offer their subscribers high-speed data download and interactive services such as video gaming and stock trading.

Commenting on the TRAI recommendations on 3G spectrum, Mr Maran said, "The TRAI recommendation gives a clear opinion that 3G is not an extension of 2G... We will be following the recommendations."

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