NEW DELHI, Feb 18 (Reuters) - India plans to hold a thirdround of auction of unsold mobile phone airwaves in 18telecommunication zones immediately after it completes a sale inother zones in March, to comply with a court order, a seniorgovernment official said on Monday.
The telecommunications ministry is also consideringincreasing the quantum of airwaves it has put on block in theKarnataka and Rajasthan zones in the auction due in March, R.Chandrashekhar, secretary at the ministry said.
The Supreme Court of India last week directed the governmentto auction all airwaves that would be vacated after cancellationof 122 zonal permits, which it had earlier ordered to be revokedafter a massive scandal over a 2008 sale.
Sale of mobile radio spectrum along with stake sales instate-run companies is crucial for the government's plan to cutits fiscal deficit. But an airwave auction in November raisedless than a quarter of its target of $7.4 billion as companiesstayed away saying the minimum bid price was too high.
The government is auctioning airwaves in March in four zones-- Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka and Rajasthan -- that did not getany bids in the November auction.
Chandrashekhar said the quantum of airwaves being sold inthe Delhi and Mumbai zones were already compliant with the courtorder.