Google to Participate in India’s WiMAX/3G Auction?

Google is planning to participate in India’s WiMAX auction with an Indian partner (the 3G Auction is scheduled for January 14th).

As per BS, Google is either looking at broadband wireless access and may participate in the auction or could serve as a technology partner to a telecom service provider (Foreign companies can buy up to 74% equity in such a venture.).

To give you certain perspective on WiMAX and 3G, India is the largest single-country WiMAX opportunity in the world (read: WiMAX Opportunities in India), with most of the major operators actively pursuing WiMAX (BSNL, Tata, Bharti Airtel, etc). By 2014, there will be 20 million 3G-based broadband subscribers by 2014 as opposed to 60 million WiMax users (the rationale behind these numbers is the availability of 20 MHz spectrum per operator and the expected lower price of WiMAX based devices (WiMAX data card is expected to be available for as little as $40, compared to $80 for 3G).

As far as auction is concerned, BWA/WiMAX auction bid starts at Rs. 1,750 Crores. The government will auction two blocks in BWA spectrum and reserve one for state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd in Mumbai and Delhi and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd elsewhere.

Also Read: Google Bats for Safe Harbour – Recommendation to TRAI on VAS/VASP [Slightly old, but still valid]