Spectrum bids touch Rs 1.07 lakh crore over weekend after Friday dip

Spectrum bids touch Rs 1.07 lakh crore over weekend after Friday dip

NEW DELHI: With six rounds on Friday and five on Saturday, the bid amount for the spectrum auctions has touched Rs 107,000 crore at the end of 97 rounds, but bidding appears to have slowed down in 2100 MHz which caters to 3G. 

 

The result of this slow down was reflected on Friday when the bid amount dipped to Rs 105,000 crore from Rs 109,000 a day earlier.

 

A Telecom ministry official told Indiantelevision.com, "In the auction design, over rounds, with increase in price sometimes lesser number of blocks are provisionally allocated at higher price, and thus the total amount may fluctuate a little. However, this may even out over the next few rounds of bidding."

 

With this, approximately 11 per cent of the spectrum still remains and so auction will continue for the 2100 MHz, 1800 MHz, 900 MHz and 800 MHz bands.

 

Active bidding continued on the sixteenth day with a majority of service areas going at a premium over reserve price.

There is robust auction with 100 per cent activity requirement and activity in new service areas in 1800 MHz, 900 MHz and 800 MHz bands.

 

The government had initially expected to reap around Rs 49,000 crore from the auction, though the Communications and IT Ministry sources had later predicted that it would get close to Rs 1 lakh crore.