Honest

Reliance BIG Music ties up with Paramount 27 Sep, 2008, 2207 hrs IST, PTI MUMBAI: Big Music & Home Entertainment (BMHE), part of the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has entered into a licensing agreement with Paramount Home Entertainment of HOllywood, the company announced on Saturday. The deal provides BIG Music the exclusive distribution rights for Paramount home video productions in India and Sri Lanka. Paramount home video library includes productions of DreamWorks Animation SKG, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vintage, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. The library contains movies ranging from classics like "The Godfather" series, "The Ten Commandments" and "Roman Holiday" to contemporary blockbusters like "The Mission Impossible" series and "Transformers". BIG Music had earlier signed similar agreements with Warner Home Video and Universal Pictures to market and distribute their products in India and Sri Lanka exclusively. BIG Music chief executive Kulmeet Makkar and Paramount Home Asia Pacific regional director Zubair Hassan hailed the cooperation, saying it would work in favour of both the companies.

Swan latest to join list of GSM telecom operators in Delhi 28 Aug 2008, 1840 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: A little known telecom aspirant, Swan, has been awarded start-up GSM spectrum in the coveted Delhi circle that had room for only one extra player. Swan will now join the league of leading GSM telecom operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone-Essar, Idea, and MTNL. Promoted by Dynamix Balwa Group of companies with interest in hospitality and real estate, Swan Telecom beat other aspirants including Datacom, Unitech, Loop Telecom and Tata Teleservices. Reliance Communications has already been allotted GSM spectrum under the dual technology clause. Separately, four of the above mentioned new players have been allotted start-up GSM spectrum of 4.4 MHz in the circle of Madhya Pradesh, official sources said, adding that the government was looking at some more circles, including Mumbai and Maharashtra. Swan Telecom was in the news for its reported association with Anil Ambani group company RCOM, which was said to hold 9.9 per cent stake in it at the time of applying for licence last year. RCOM officials, however, said the company does not hold stake in Swan telecom anymore. With clearance for spectrum in Madhya Pradesh and partly in Delhi, the competition in GSM mobile telephony is bound to increase, as Communication and IT Minister A Raja has already distributed radio frequency in five circles of Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Orrisa.

Swan Telecom gets nod for long distance & Net services 27 Sep, 2008, 0042 hrs IST, ET NEW DELHI: Following its $900 million deal with UAE’s Etisalat, Swan Telecom has now received a further boost. It has got the department of telecom’s nod to offer both national and international long distance (NLD & ILD) services, in addition to getting the government’s nod to operate as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in India. These three additional licences will enable Swan to offer the complete array of telecom services—from mobile to fixedline to carrying voice and data to Internet services. When contacted, a source in Swan confirmed the development and said, “We have got letters of intent (LoIs) from the government to offer both national and international long distance services. We have also received an LoI for the Internet Service Provider’s licence. Since we have got the government clearance, we now have to pay the entry fee to get these licences. We will complete these procedures next week. We are formulating strategy to launch these offerings in India.” The Swan source also added that the company would get into tie-ups with NLD operators and use their infrastructure. “There is plenty of optic fibre in the country. We will, therefore, not duplicate this infrastructure. We will opting for the most effective strategy,” the executive said. The business generated by the long distance segment in India is estimated to be worth over Rs 10,000 core annually. All Indian telcos hold NLD and ILD licences, while some of them such as Bharti Airtel and state-owned telcos BSNL and MTNL are also present in the ISP space. In addition to Indian players, Swan will also have to compete with international majors like Orange (France Telecom), AT&T, British Telecom (BT), Cable & Wireless and Verizon, all of whom have recently got the government’s nod to offer both national and international long distance services in India. While all existing service providers and even non-mobile operators such as Gail, PowerGrid, Railtel, Tulip, HCL Infinet hold long-distance licences, this segment is dominated by the four bigwigs — Bharti Airtel, Tata Communications, BSNL and Reliance Communications. Just days earlier, Swan had announced that it was offloading a 45% stake to UAE’s Etisalat for $900 million. Besides, as reported first by ET, the company is also set to acquire the mobile licences held by Allianz Infratech. Industry sources say that the Swan-Allianz deal, which may run into a couple of hundred crores, is likely to be announced within a fortnight. Allianz had applied for telecom licences on a pan-India level but was given permission to launch services in only two circles, Madhya Pradesh & Bihar. Swan, which has bagged licences to operate in 13 of the 22 telecom zones in India, is not present in these two circles.

Apple iPhone prone to phishing, say Net forums 27 Sep, 2008, 0027 hrs IST, ET NEW DELHI: The much-hyped iPhone 3G by Apple is becoming notorious on the Net for its security flaws. According to recent reports by online forums and top gizmo sites on the web, the Apple iPhone has become vulnerable to serious security threats like phishing and spyware. For instance, a security flaw in Apple Inc’s iPhone allows unauthorised users to gain easy access to your private contacts and emails even when the device is ‘locked’, say top mobile review site like intomobile.com and the iphoneblog.com, a site developed around iPhone users. The iPhone comes locked when you buy it from the market. It’s only the operator who can unlock the phone legally. Meanwhile, network and mobile security experts also point out the flaws in the iPhone’s Safari web browser. “The iPhone’s Safari browser is one of the most vulnerable browsers and is prone to not only phishing but also to spread of spyware. Using APPLE SDK (software development kit), a hacker can create phone spying software which can anonymously send or receive SMS without notifying the owner,” said network security firm Appin’s CEO, Rajat Khare. According to online forums, flaws in the mail and Safari applications bundled with the iPhone leave users of the device at greater risk of phishing attacks. Apple failed to reply to ET’s repeated email queries on the issue. Another vulnerability in the iPhone is URL-spoofing. It means that a dodgy domain pointed to by a specially crafted URL can appear to be that of a trusted brand when viewed through the iPhone’s mail or Safari browser applications. The iPhone does not display the URL of a link embedded into an email, making it easier to trick the user into pointing the Safari browser to a phishing website. Even the dialing process of iPhone can be hijacked via JavaScript, the blog sites report. Meanwhile, Gizmodo, a too Gizmo review site and a MacRumors.com claim that it takes only three taps to gain access to the locked iPhones. “Earlier hacking reports were predominantly on the Windows platform, now with iPhone gaining popularity, hackers have trained their eyes on it. Although Apple has released the latest version of security software, it is unlikely that it will solve the issues completely,” said Trend Micro country manager – India and SAARC, Niraj Kaushik. The Safari browser of the iPhone can very easily lead to the phone being hacked, say online forums. Using the vulnerability in the Apple code the hacker can spy all the activity done on the Phone. Once broken the hacker can access, personal data, SMS text files, contact information, call history, passwords, e-mail, browser history, and voice mail information could be obtained by a remote attacker. The hacker can also exploit the iPhone to dial a phone number or send a text message without prompting the user. The iPhone can also be turned into a microphone to eavesdrop remote conversations. Experts suggest a third party anti virus software to be installed on the iPhone, in order to ensure protection during download of data untrustworthy sources. Meanwhile Apple has been fixing bugs in the iPhone regularly. For instance, Apple addressed ‘the passcode flaw’ in iPhones last January. The fix prevented unauthorized users from circumventing the password-protected locking feature. The problem has however, reemerged in new versions of the iPhone software. The Passcode Lock feature is designed to prevent applications from being launched unless the correct passcode is entered. However, the flaw allows attackers to bypass the passcode-locking feature by just touching “Emergency Call” on the password-entry screen and then double tapping the home button. Though the iPhone was launched in India, last month, the phone may not find it replacing other business phones used by corporate executives, if Apple doesn’t fix the flaws fast enough.

^^^ Thats the spirit my dear friend. No hard feelings at all. Regards.

^^^ Dear Mr. Mufaddal, we respect you a lot. Please avoid discussions related to Cracks and Free Accounts (Illegal only) and help us to keep our beloved Rimweb neat and clean. Regards.

^^^ Thats really rediculous my dear Asit. What the hell are these people doing in the name of verifications. This could also be the case of IDENTITY THEFT. Under this some persons take the connections in the name of other person, using fake documents and also give the fake address. Their are strong chances that this might be happened at your place. Regards.

^^^ My dear friend, we are already discussing about this handset in the below mentioned thread. http://www.rimweb.in/forums/index.php?showtopic=13641 So, unfortunately, we have to close this thread. Regards.

My dear friends, hope in India we will get the best services from Shyam Telelink. Atleast expecting better services then what we are getting at present. Regards.

Android for Sony Ericsson? Sony pondering over the Google platform Sony Ericsson Chief **** Komiyama revealed yesterday that the company is mulling over the possibility of using Google's Android platform in its future smart phones. This comes at a time when Sony Ericsson has been shuffling with UIQ3 and Windows Mobile with its latest range of enterprise devices. Although the company has stopped short of a complete endorsement of the new open source platform from Google, it has expressed its interest in the Android option. There has been no official word from the company about this possibility in the future. This will obviously result in raised eyebrows at the Symbian foundation -- of which Sony Ericsson is a key member. In the face of losing market share and stiff competition, Sony Ericsson has been on the lookout for newer alternatives to power their handsets. The first transition came in the form of the Xperia X1, which runs on a customized Windows Mobile 6 platform. The sudden interest in the Android would be welcome by Google -- especially since only original partners HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung are the ones interested in the Android, so far. Courtesy : Techtree

^^^ The images seems to be really cool my dear Akshat. Regards.

^^^ Hmmm, Bluetooth watches and that too from Sony Ericsson. Its just great my dear friends. Its just a different feeling. Cheers !

Motorola Adds 3 Phones to Its 'Yuva' Range Motorola has added 3 new phones to its 'Yuva' range - MOTOYUVA W388, MOTOYUVA A810 and MOTOYUVA ZN200. "Our YUVA range of mobile phones offers Indian consumers a diverse range of affordable options," said Lloyd Mathias, senior director and head of Sales and Distribution, India and South West Asia, Motorola Mobile Devices. "The YUVA W388 is a multimedia candybar phone, YUVA A810 is a touch screen phone, and the YUVA ZN200 is a slider imaging phone. There's a YUVA phone to suit everyone's style this festive season." The MOTOYUVA W388 candy bar phone comes with a dedicated music button, an enhanced MP3 player, MusicID application for song recognition and an FM radio with radio data system (RDS) functionality, which shows the name of the artist and the song and the type of music playing on the radio. The W388 also let users record excerpts of songs from FM radio and set an FM alarm. The W388 allows users to block unwanted callers, features Motorola's CrystalTalk technology for better voice clarity, offers 750 SMS storage and 1,000 phone book entries and an integrated VGA camera that supports 4x zoom and Java capabilities that enable users to download Java games. Memory is expandable upto 2GB. Courtesy : Tech2

Visa Develops Payment Software For Google Phone Visa Inc. said Thursday it's developing mobile payment software for the new wireless phone powered by Google Inc.'s Android system. San Francisco-based Visa said Android users will be able to receive near real-time alerts about purchases via their mobile devices, Visa said. Users also will be able to use location-based mapping technology to find ATM machines and nearby stores where they can redeem special Visa offers. The software will be broadly available to U.S. consumers by the end of the year, starting with holders of Chase Visa cards. Visa's announcement came two days after T-Mobile USA showed off the G1, the first phone harnessing Google's ambition to make the Internet easy to use on the go. The T-Mobile device is schedule to hit U.S. stores Oct. 22. "By developing these mobile services for the Android platform, Visa has taken a major step toward achieving our goal of combining two of the world's most powerful and ubiquitous consumer innovations, electronic payments and mobile technology," said Elizabeth Buse, Visa's global products head. The nation's largest payment network also signed a deal to give users of Nokia's upcoming 6212 Classic-model cell phone the ability to make "contactless" payments in stores just by flashing their phone at an electronic scanner. Similar "contactless" capabilities for Android users are still under development, Visa said. Visa also announced an agreement with U.S. Bank, lead bank of US Bancorp, to launch a mobile money transfer pilot program. Expected to begin on a trial basis by year-end, the program would allow Visa's U.S. cardholders to use their mobile devices to send funds directly to another Visa cardholder's account. According to Visa's Website, there are 1.6 billion Visa cards in circulation with nearly $4 trillion transacted among its payment products in the 12 months ended March 31. Courtesy : Tech2

And to add with my dear friends, one should never purchase the handset whose box is not sealed. Always insist to purchase a sealed pack handset and open the seal in front of you. You can also check for the original's holograms on the box. Regards.

Google phone to cost above Rs 20,000 26 Sep, 2008, 1153 hrs IST, Indiatimes NEW DELHI: Excited about the new Google phone? Wondering when the phone will hit Indian shores? Soon. HTC is planning to roll out Google Android-powered phone in India by December end. According to a business daily, Taiwan-based cellphone major is currently in talks with a leading service provider in India. The company which has an exclusive partnership to sell phones in India with service provider Airtel said that it is open to selling the phone through independent retail channels. The business model is still under consideration. Indian consumers, however, will be required to shell out more for G1 than it’s US pricing of around $180. While HTC is yet to firm up the prices for G1 in India, it is expected that the phone will be priced higher than Rs 20,000. The phone which has widely being termed as Google's rival to Apple iPhone was launched by TMobile in US earlier this week. Apple's 3G iPhone sells for $199 8GB in US as compared to Rs 31,000 for 8GB in India. The G1 phone boasts of touchscreen, a computer-like keyboard and has Google's new open operating system, Android. It also hosts an array of multimedia features similar to Apple's iPhone and RIM's BlackBerry. The phone has a trackball for navigation, high-speed Internet browsing, WiFi, email, instant messaging and SMS texting. The phone functions on 3G network and is specially designed to offer high-speed Internet surfing. It also has a Global Positioning System (GPS), a 3 megapixel camera with photo-sharing capability and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a feature lacking on the iPhone. Like iPhone, in G1 users cannot shoot video. There's also a feature by which Gmail users will get instant notification whenever they receive a new message in their inbox. Available in three colors -- black, white and brown -- it includes familiar Google services, such as Google Maps, Gmail and YouTube. Like the iPhone and other smartphones, the device is meant to broaden the appeal of Web surfing on the go. Research firm Strategy Analytics has predicted that the G1 could sell 400,000 units by the end of 2008, accounting for 4 per cent of the smartphone market.

DoT shortlists 3 as eligible bidders for 3G e-auction agency 26 Sep, 2008, 1915 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecom (DoT) has shortlisted N M Rothschild & Sons, Sai Info System and mJunction as the eligible bidders for e-auction of spectrum for 3G and broadband wireless services. Based on the information available on their covering letter, three bidders - Rothschild & Sons of Mumbai, Sai Info System of Ahmedabad and mJunction of Kolkata were found to be meeting the eligibility criteria, the DoT said. These companies will now make a presentation on September 29 before DoT and the technically qualified bidders will be announced on October 1. Two days later on October 3, the financial bids will be opened and the agency will be selected on October 6. DoT had said that even a consortium or a group of companies will be permitted to submit the bids. Likewise, the same agency will also be responsible for auctioning of broadband wireless access or BWA services. Besides, the DoT has said that potential bidders cannot have over 10 per cent stake in any telecom or internet service provider in India. Under the guidelines, only those companies which have a paid-up capital of Rs 25 million, a net worth of at least Rs 100 million and have conducted similar auctions earlier will be eligible. The DoT had earlier said the auctions of 3G radio frequencies for telecom operators will be held within three months of selecting the agency to conduct the same. This implies that if the agency is selected in October, the auctions must be conducted before January 2009.

Spectrum: Need to have open market based method stressed 26 Sep, 2008, 1715 hrs IST, PTI BANGALORE: FICCI President Rajeev Chandrashekhar has stressed the need for having an open market based method to establish value of spectrum that government from time to time gives to private sector for operating various services, so that exchequer does not lose out. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Chandrashekhar, MP from Bangalore, said since spectrum was an asset of the government and the people of India, it must be commercially compensated at the market value when it was being transferred to another entity or company. His reaction came after Swan Telecom's valuation created "jitters" leading to questions being raised on the low pricing of USD two billion of 3G Spectrum by the Telecom department. "The transaction clearly established irrefutable eveidence that the government's pricing for Spectrum of 4.4 MHz was far lower than the actual market value causing considerable loss to the exchequer", he said. There is a need for a comprehensive public policy when it comes to commercial terms of moretisation of public assets like spectrum, minerals and natural resources so that the exchequer gets it due, Chandrashekhar said. He pointed out that arbitrage between the value that the government was receiving from spectrum and the actual market value was to the tune of around Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 crore. On a base price of nationwide spectrum of approximately Rs 1540 crore, this was an appreciation in the hands of private sector of almost 600 per cent in a few months, Chandrashekhar said.

^^^ My dear friends, Reliance should upgrade to 3x so that the subscribers could get the benefit of latest technology. Regards.

^^^ My dear Ramesh, still their is no confirmation about the release of this handset. As soon as we get the news, we will update here. Stay Tuned. Regards.

Google phone G1 may enter India by January 2009 26 Sep, 2008, 0011 hrs IST, ET KOLKATA: Indian consumers will be able to lay their hands on the latest gizmo, the Google mobile phone, around New Year. Taiwanese smartphone vendor HTC Corp, which has manufactured the first Google phone G1, said it will roll out the handset in India by early January 2009. Global analysts have pegged G1 as prime contender to challenge Apple’s iPhone and the BlackBerry smartphones. Indian consumers, however, will be required to shell out much more for G1 than its US price point of around $180. While HTC is yet to firm up the prices for G1 in India, the company said it will be priced “significantly higher than Rs 20,000”. “The price of Google phone in India will depend on the distribution model, whether it is bundled with operators or sold through the retail channel. We are yet to firm up exact plans. However, it will be sold at a much higher price than the US tag,” HTC India country head Ajay Sharma told ET. The much-awaited G1, also branded as HTC Dream, was globally launched in the US on Tuesday. The smartphone is currently being sold in partnership with US operator T-Mobile and is the first phone to run on Google’s Android platform. The Google phone is a 3.5G handset with finger-friendly touch screen navigation, slide-out QWERTY keyboard with a trackball, Wi-Fi enabled and delivers rich internet browsing experience. It also provides one-touch access to Google services like Google search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and Google Map. HTC might look at the possibility of customising G1 specifically for the Indian market. “We will explore all such possibilities. The Google phone is expected to drive a lot of data usage due to its internet-friendly features. Hence, if we tie up with operators, there might be a specific data tariff plan for consumers,” Mr Sharma said. The company is betting on G1 to increase its market share in India next year. HTC had sold around 1-lakh handsets in 2007 in India and has set a target to sell 2.5 lakh handsets this year. It currently enjoys around 8-10% share in the Indian smartphone market with handsets starting at Rs 10,000 onwards. “By 2010, we expect to sell 1-million handsets in India. It is then that we will achieve a certain critical mass that might support the possibility of setting up a manufacturing plant in India. But, at present, there are no such concrete plans. Currently, all our handsets are manufactured in Taiwan,” Mr Sharma added.

Chinese mobiles: New terror weapon 25 Sep, 2008, 1715 hrs IST, Indiatimes BANGALORE: The prices of the swanky looking mobile phone handsets loaded with the latest features are attractively low. But we could pay a high price for these China mobiles, as they are better known, are the new terror tools. Following the series of bomb blasts across the country, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) zeroed in on these handsets and last month recommended to the Union home ministry and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to ban them. It's because these handsets, recovered from some terror suspects, did not have the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number and consequently gave no details of SIM cards used in it. Apparently, terrorists have switched over to such handsets which can be discarded without any hassles and without fear of call transactions being traced. How exactly does the IMEI number work? Every branded mobile phone comes with a standard 15-digit or 17-digit IMEI number. This number is registered with the GSM service provider once the handset becomes active when a SIM card is inserted. In case the handset is stolen, even if the SIM card is changed, the police can block the handset by using the IMEI number and even retrieve details from recovered handsets. Even CDMA mobile phones have an electronic serial number equivalent to the IMEI number. Bangalore City Crime Branch (CCB) officials, who often raid outlets selling such handsets, say, "It is very difficult to extract details from such handsets. Though these 'Chinese mobiles' are supposed to have genuine IMEI numbers, they are either fake or several phones have the same IMEI number, making it impossible to find out any details."

Motorola Q11, BlackBerry Bold Killer Spotted Yes, it's raining smartphones. Following Research in Motion's recent announcement of the BlackBerry Bold, its competitor has already been spotted even before the Bold starts shipping. Motorola's Q9 will now be succeeded by the Motorola Q11. Photos spotted at Mobility Today indicate a close similarity between the Q11 and the Q9. As per the leaked specs, the Motorola Q11 will feature Windows Mobile 6.1, a 3-megapixel camera with flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. The screen resolution appears to be the same as that of the Q9 at 320x240. Motorola Q11's release in the fourth quarter will put it directly in competition with the BlackBerry Bold. We'll keep updating as we get more reports about the Motorola Q11, stay tuned. Courtesy : Techtree

i-mate And Airtel Launch The JAMA 101 i-mate together with Bharti Airtel has launched the JAMA 101 Windows Mobile phone. Supporting Tri-band GSM/GPRS at 900/1800/1900MHz as well as Bluetooth, the JAMA 101 is powered by a Samsung CPU at 300MHz with 128MB of ROM and 64MB RAM, which can be extended by micro SD expansion cards. Its 2.0-mega pixel camera makes it a perfect multimedia companion. "As the market leader, Airtel is committed to bringing pioneering solutions that deliver greater value and enhance the communication experience of its customers," said Sanjay Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel. "The JAMA 101 powered by the Airtel’s state-of-the-art EDGE wireless network will leverage i-mate™ unique combination of style, powerful functionalities to redefine the way mobile users stay in touch at times of work or leisure." Discussing this launch, Jim Morrison, CEO, i-mate said, "i-mate is synonymous with delivering stylish and powerful Windows Mobile devices for all types of customers and, we are delighted to partner with Bharti Airtel for the launch of JAMA 101. JAMA 101 is designed for those wanting an affordable and powerful smartphone for email, web browsing multimedia as well as business needs.” The JAMA 101costs Rs. 12,900. Users will also get additional benefits for data download of 50 MB/Month of GPRS at Rs. 99. It will be widely available across India through i-mate's sales channels. Courtesy : Tech2

3G, WiMax auctions to be held simultaneously Business Line Move aimed at curbing chances of manipulation by operators. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bidding moves The Government wants to ensure that it gets aggressive bids for both streams of radio frequencies RCom, Tata Tele and Aircel are looking at deploying WiMax technology in a big way ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ New Delhi, Sept. 25 In a bid to cut out the possibility of any manipulation by operators, the Department of Telecom has decided to conduct simultaneous auction for third generation mobile services and broadband wireless technologies such as WiMax. Earlier, the DoT was planning to conduct the auction sequentially by first putting 3G spectrum on the block followed by WiMax. According to DoT officials, the decision to conduct simultaneous auction was taken so that the operators are not given an opportunity to speculate or try to get any undue advantage during the bidding for WiMax spectrum. The move will also ensure that the Government gets aggressive bids for both streams of radio frequencies given the uncertainty of the end result during the auction. “If 3G auction is conducted first, then there is a possibility that the WiMax bids will not be as high as we expect it to go. By conducting the auction together, we are eliminating the chances of any manipulation,” said a senior Government official Officials said that since most of the operators would want a piece of either 3G spectrum or WiMax to sustain their business in the future, they would go all out for acquiring at least one of the two in a simultaneous process. If the auction was done sequentially, then some of the operators may have had the option to skip the 3G auction altogether and then participate in WiMax auction assuming that a few companies which win 3G may not be interested or have the money power to take part in another round of bidding. That would have meant less competition, allowing the operators to take away the WiMax spectrum with much lower bids. Simultaneous auction, on the other hand, raises the uncertainty levels, which, in turn, will make the auction for both 3G and WiMax equally aggressive. WiMax vs 3G While WiMax is known to have potential similar to 3G technology in terms of the type of services and speed, globally, it is currently being deployed primarily for data services, including wireless broadband. However, technology companies such as Intel are investing in developing standards that will enable WiMax operators to carry voice calls soon. Handset makers such as Motorola are also developing hand-held devices that are expected to rival 3G phones. Market watchers expect telecom players to offer voice services using WiMax technology within a matter of 6 months to a year. Since DoT has already allowed WiMax to be used for both data and voice services, it is not much different from a 3G licence. A sequential bidding would have allowed some companies the option of not bidding for 3G given its higher base price compared to that of WiMax. While 3G bidders will have to pay at least Rs 2,020 crore for pan-India spectrum, operators who win WiMax spectrum will have to pay only Rs 1,010 crore. Operators including Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices and Aircel are looking at deploying WiMax technology in a big way. However, since the bids will be invited circle-wise, DoT can conduct simultaneous auctions only in areas where it has spectrum for both technologies. In other circles, the auction will have to be done sequentially. The status on this will only be known once the defence forces start releasing spectrum. Industry observers said that in areas where spectrum for both are not available immediately, DoT could conduct the auctions one after the other as long as the time gap between the two is at least six months to keep the playing field level.