AT&T, Telstra plan to re-enter India

From Dow Jones Newswires
Wednesday 07 October 2009
Telcos will likely participate in 3G auction, local press claims.
U.S.-based AT&T Inc. and Australia's Telstra Corp. plan to re-enter the Indian telecommunications market, the Financial Express reported Wednesday, citing an unnamed official at the country's Department of Telecommunications.

The two companies are likely to participate in the auction to sell radio bandwidth for third-generation, or 3G, services in India, the report said.

India's federal government expects to auction the radio bandwidth by the fourth quarter of the fiscal year that ends March 31, 2010.

AT&T had exited a joint venture with the Tatas and the Aditya Birla group nearly five years ago, while Telstra exited its venture with the Modi group in 2000, the report said.

AT&T and Telstra declined to comment, the report added.