India’s Department of Telecom (DoT) has said that it will allow foreign players as well as domestic entrants to acquire 3G spectrum and offer such services in the country. The body has said that new entrants will be allowed to bid for up to 10MHz of 3G spectrum, or two blocks. Existing telcos will need only 5MHz to migrate to 3G. According to a report in India’s Economic Times, Indian telcos – both CDMA and GSM players – are opposed to the entry of foreign companies in 3G. US operator AT&T could be one beneficiary; the company has previously outlined plans to increase its presence in the region.

In separate regional news, Saudi Arabian mobile operator Etihad Etisalat (‘Mobily’) plans to invest an additional INR700 million over the next three years to expand its operations in India. Mobily last year set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in the country – Mobily InfoTech India Pvt. Ltd. – with an investment of INR200 million. Mobily InfoTech will provide IT and consulting services for the parent company and will increase its headcount from 70 to 200 by the end of this year. The company also said it is open to entering the mobile phone services market in India using GSM technology.