3G bids up 73% from base on auction eighth day

Bids for a nationwide third-generation (3G) mobile spectrum licences rose 73% above the base price to Rs60.68 billion ($1.36 billion) on the eighth day of an auction, government data showed on Monday.

Forty-six rounds of bidding had been completed by Monday, 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, which began on April 9, may take about two weeks to complete, government officials have said.