|
The heavy bidding by the large operators
underscores their big bets on the potential for mobile data in
the world's fastest growing smartphone market.
The three operators bought airwaves worth a total 855.75 billion
rupees ($13.66 billion), or about 78 percent of the total
airwaves sold in the auction, telecoms minister Ravi Shankar
Prasad said on Thursday.
India raised $17.6 billion from the auction after 19 days of
fierce bidding, of which the government expects to receive about
288.72 billion rupees in initial payments, Prasad said.
"I would very earnestly appeal to the companies that national
revenue is equally important for growth and India's image," the
minister said, appealing to winning bidders to submit initial
payments before the current fiscal year ends on March 31.
Spectrum revenue is crucial for the government to meet its
ambitious fiscal target. The winners have until April 4 to make
the upfront payment.
Idea Cellular, India's third-biggest mobile operator by market
share, spent 303.06 billion rupees in the auction, the single
biggest amount spent.
Market leader Bharti Airtel paid 293.10 billion rupees, while
Vodafone Group India unit spent 259.59 billion rupees, according
to figures provided by the minister.
Cash-rich Reliance Industries' telecoms unit spent 100.77
billion rupees before a widely anticipated commercial launch
later this year.
(Reporting by Aman Shah in MUMBAI and Tommy Wilkes in NEW DELHI;
Editing by Rafael Nam and Susan thomas)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
