3G bids up 117 pc on 12th day

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Bids for a nationwide third-generation (3G) mobile spectrum licences in India more than doubled from the base price to touch 75.99 billion rupees ($1.71 billion) on the twelfth day of an auction, government data showed on Friday.

Seventy rounds of bidding had been completed by Friday, the Department of Telecommunications said on its website.

Nine mobile operators, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Vodafone's Indian unit, are participating in the auction.

The auction started on April 9.