Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Qualcomm to Pay $1B for India 4G Spectrum

By atesmeh | June 11, 2010

Qualcomm will pay $1.04 billion for access to India’s 4G spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band after winning four key licenses in the country’s BWA spectrum auction yesterday, including licenses in the densely populated markets of Dehli and Mumbai. The company also landed a 20 MHz slot in Haryana and Kerala.

“Our bidding objective was to secure an enabling role in the continued success of Indian operators with 3G and beyond, and we are extremely gratified we met that objective,” said Qualcomm’s India and South Asia President Kanwalinder Singh in a statement. “With its ecosystem partners, Qualcomm will now foster the deployment of LTE, so Indian consumers can enjoy the benefits of 3G now and 3G plus LTE in the future.”

The San Diego-based chipmaker said it will partner with “one or more experienced 3G HSPA and/or EV-DO operator partners” to deploy a 4G network and then exit the venture as part of its compliance with India’s direct foreign investment regulations.

Qualcomm believes its investment in India, the world’s fastest-growing telecommunications market, will accelerate demand for its 3G/LTE multi-mode chipsets. Sales of CDMA chips and related intellectual property rights have comprised the bulk of Qualcomm’s revenue.

“Along with our ecosystem partners, we are now poised to accelerate the mobile broadband revolution with 3G HSPA, EV-DO and LTE to the benefit of all Indians,” said Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs in a statement. 

Qualcomm plans to deploy a TDD (time division duplex) version of LTE called TD-LTE because the India licenses cover unpaired spectrum. FDD-LTE, the version being rolled out by AT&T and Verizon, runs on paired spectrum. Clearwire’s mobile WiMAX is a TDD technology.

The only company to win country-wide access to India’s 4G spectrum was Infotel, which will pay $2.7 billion for 2.3 GHz spectrum licenses in all of India’s 22 telecommunication circles.

In an odd twist, Reuters reported that Reliance Industries’ billionaire owner Mukesh Ambani will finance the spectrum acquisition while buying out Infotel, citing an unnamed source with “direct knowledge” of the matter. The buyout would bring Infotel in competition with Reliance Communications, which is owned by Ambani’s estranged brother Anil Ambani.

Reliance Communications is paying $1.85 billion for access to India’s 3G spectrum but did not win any 4G licenses.

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: Infrastructure

 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
  • Sustainable Practices for a Sustainable World
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.OkNoRead more