It has emerged out to be a much more intricate as well as prolonged process than expected yet at the same time raked-in more moolah than anyone had ever thought of. Yes… I am talking about much hyped 3G auctions which completed in 34 days and has garnered over Rs 67,700 crore for the exchequer. The Government had initially thought of earning Rs 36,000 crore from the auctions. Auctions have not only gone way past the Finance Ministry’s projections but have provided a much needed elbow room to the Ministry to bring down the fiscal deficit below the level of 5% in the current fiscal.
3G services from private operators are expected to be rolled-out by September, this year, heralding a new era of competition among telcos which are already struggling with the declining ARPUs. So while the 3G brings plenty of choices to the consumer, it has brought a new opportunity to maximize their revenues. 3G services will definitely expose the consumers to newer digital infotainment services paving way for the triple-play services on cable and for value additions on DTH. All digital services will benefit from such awareness.
