Indian broadband auctions fetch $8.5 billion

BANGALORE, India — Only one nation-wide carrier emerged from India's broadband wireless auctions that concluded on Friday (June 11).

Infotel Broadband Services, a little known, privately-held company, made a winning bid of about $2.75 billion to provide wireless services in India.

Other prominent winners of regional licences were Qualcomm Inc. and Bharti Airtel Ltd., India’s largest mobile services operator. Each won licences to operate in four regions.

Qualcomm won spectrum in the 2.3-GHz band with a bid of just over $1 billion. "Our bidding objective was to secure an enabling role in the continued success of Indian operators with 3G and beyond," Qualcomm said in a statement.

Eleven companies bid for broadband wireless licenses. The bidding followed 3G auctions last month that raised about $15 billion. Together, the auction totals more than tripled the government's estimates.

—K.C. Krishnadas is site editor of TechOnline India