Government today said it will allow foreign telcos to bid on their own without a domestic partner for the 3G spectrum but they have to find a local player before starting services. As per the Indian laws, foreign companies can own up to 74 per cent stake and thus they would be required to form a joint venture with an Indian company before starting the services, Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura told reporters here.
But the real issue is how effective the Telco can serve with only 3G spectrum as 2G spectrum is already gobbled up by existing players and there is hardly any left to accommodate any fresh applications.
In a separate development, Mr. Siddharth Behura said,
The bidding for an agency that will overlook the rollout of the proposed mobile number portability (MNP) will open within a week. Six months from thereafter, we will roll out the MNP services in the metros initially and later in the rest of the country.
Mobile Number portability the dream of many Indians since the last 2 years is inching towards reality.
