Singapore says may not need to auction 3G licences

Singapore may not need to auction its four 3G mobile licences after getting replies from four bidders, Minister for Communications and Information TechnologyYeo Cheow Tong said on Tuesday.

"Whether we will have an auction or not depends very much on their choice of spectrum. If the four interested parties are bidding for separate spectrums and there is no overlap, there will be no need for an auction," Yeo told reporters on the sidelines of the opening of a regional logistics facility.

"I don't see them aiming for only one. The rest will opt for the remaining licences."

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore said on Monday it received four bids for the 3G licence auction set for April 23. The telecoms watchdog will assess the applications and announce the eligible parties by April 2.

The bidders were Sunday Communications, MobileOne, Singapore Telecom Mobile -- the mobile arm of Singapore Telecommunications -- and StarHub Mobile Pte Ltd.

"We expected less than four. If it was less than four we had to keep the surplus licences for future sales. It turned out that we have four, so there will be no surplus licences," Yeo said.

"With four interested parties, we should have a very vibrant market with enough competitive pressure on the four players that are going to roll out the 3G system."