2G spectrum auction flops

Lamenting the mess in the sector, Sibal said, "the consumer has not benefited at all because the nature and the kind of investments that ought to have gone into the sector have stopped and the sector has been in debt."

As per the provisional result, Vodafone emerged as the biggest winner getting additional spectrum in 14 circles of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh (East), Uttar Pradesh (West), Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Bihar, Kerala, Orissa, North East, Punjab and Kerala.

Its market competitor Bharti Airtel managed only in Assam circles.

Poor response to 2G spectrum auction to swell fiscal deficit

Poor response to the 2G telecom spectrum auction is likely to make it difficult for the government to keep in check fiscal deficit and meet the revised target of 5.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012-13.

As against the target of Rs 40,000 crore, the 2G spectrum auction, which concluded today, would fetch only Rs 9,407 crore. This was much less than the reserve price of Rs 28,000 crore fixed by the Telecommunications Ministry.

It is also unlikely that the entire amount would be available in the current fiscal as the telecom companies would have the option to stagger payment over three years.

In view of rising oil and food subsidy bill and subdued revenue collection, the government had increased the fiscal deficit target for 2012-13 to 5.3 per cent from 5.1 per cent estimated in the budget.

This too now seems difficult in the backdrop of tepid response to

... contd.