Google, Intel want a piece of Indian WiMax
29-10-2009
Looking for partners among prospective bidders at the January WiMax auction
While India's 3G market interests the big global telcos, Google and Intel are interested in India's WiMax market. That's because WiMax, while not yet integrated into conventional telco networks, promises to fill gaps in India's local loop, and make broadband more widely and cheaply available in this country.
ISPs could stitch together WiMax and Wi-Fi networks to cover much of India. Google in also investing in international bandwidth (it is co-owner of the upcoming Unity submarine cable). With foreign telcos entering the international bandwidth market, opportunities for ISPs having WiMax networks to parner with them and offer global broadband will increase in future.
So Indian news agencies are agog with reports of Google's interest in India's forthcoming 2.3GHz spectrum WiMax auction. Google will have to partner with an Indian company if it wants to bid for such a licence, since foreign firms can own upto 74% of such a project.
Another longtime WiMax backer, Intel, is reportedly in talks with firms like Tata Communications (formerly VSNL), Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications that could bid for WiMax spectrum at the auction billed for January 2010 (if all goes well). Intel is exploring the possibility of its venture capital arm, Intel Capital, taking a minority stake in a WiMax project. It may, alternatively, float a new company for its WiMAX foray here
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently released the information memorandum to auction spectrum for 3G and WiMax services. Under the memorandum, DoT plans to auction two blocks of WiMax (or BWA) spectrum at a base price of Rs 1750 crores (Rs 17.5 billion) for a pan-India licence. Spectrum will be given in the 2.3 GHz band. Once the defence services vacate more spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band, this also will be open for BWA aspirants.
With inputs from Business Standard
While India's 3G market interests the big global telcos, Google and Intel are interested in India's WiMax market. That's because WiMax, while not yet integrated into conventional telco networks, promises to fill gaps in India's local loop, and make broadband more widely and cheaply available in this country.
ISPs could stitch together WiMax and Wi-Fi networks to cover much of India. Google in also investing in international bandwidth (it is co-owner of the upcoming Unity submarine cable). With foreign telcos entering the international bandwidth market, opportunities for ISPs having WiMax networks to parner with them and offer global broadband will increase in future.
So Indian news agencies are agog with reports of Google's interest in India's forthcoming 2.3GHz spectrum WiMax auction. Google will have to partner with an Indian company if it wants to bid for such a licence, since foreign firms can own upto 74% of such a project.
Another longtime WiMax backer, Intel, is reportedly in talks with firms like Tata Communications (formerly VSNL), Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications that could bid for WiMax spectrum at the auction billed for January 2010 (if all goes well). Intel is exploring the possibility of its venture capital arm, Intel Capital, taking a minority stake in a WiMax project. It may, alternatively, float a new company for its WiMAX foray here
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently released the information memorandum to auction spectrum for 3G and WiMax services. Under the memorandum, DoT plans to auction two blocks of WiMax (or BWA) spectrum at a base price of Rs 1750 crores (Rs 17.5 billion) for a pan-India licence. Spectrum will be given in the 2.3 GHz band. Once the defence services vacate more spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band, this also will be open for BWA aspirants.
With inputs from Business Standard
