Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) plans to open bids for its 3G spectrum, according to news reports. The incumbent hopes to net between Rs 25 billion and Rs 50 billion over five years by inking roaming arrangements with two private players.
BSNL has 3G spectrum in all circles except Delhi and Mumbai. It had to pay over Rs 100 billion in order to match the bids by private operators.
No telecom operator managed to obtain a pan-India licence in the 3G auctions held in 2010. While Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications each won 13 of the 22 telecom zones on offer, Vodafone Essar, Idea Cellular and Tata won a total of nine, 11 and nine circles, respectively.
