According to Department of Telecommunications (DoT), bids for the third-generation (3G) wireless spectrum has increased by 46% on the sixth day of auction on Friday.

DOT reveals on its web site that on Friday bid for pan-India 3G spectrum license rose to Rs 50.96 bn when compared to its base price of Rs 35bn.

As per the report submitted by the DOT, bidding process has completed six more rounds on Friday. Taking into account all these rounds it makes the total of 34 rounds till date. Till round 34, Gujarat being the winner with the highest bid of Rs 5.13bn and Punjab being the loser by biding the lowest price.

Delhi's status in the 34th round was recorded at Rs. 4.93bn whereas Mumbai recorded at Rs4.7bn. Delhi and Gujarat both shares the base price of Rs 3.2bn each.

Around seventeen telecom service areas have been invited in the auctioning of three slots of 3G airwaves by the government. After the 3G auction only two slots will be offered for sale across the country for broadband wireless access (BWA) airwaves.

At present, six telecom service providers are fighting among each other to win this spectrum in all the 22 telecom circles. Major service providers are namely; Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar, Reliance Communications, Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices and Aircel.

Referring to telecom PSU's, by now BSNL and MTNL had been allotted 3G spectrum and they have also launched their 3G mobile services. The Government is looking forward to earn revenue of Rs350-450bn from 3G and BWA auctions.