Spectrum bidders in for the haul

By PAULA OLIVER

The Government's rejuvenated spectrum auction appears to be set to run for several months yet.

Although the four big players competing for three blocks of 3G outbid one another again yesterday, it appears that they are still in the early stages of sparring.

Publisher INL outbid Telstra Saturn for a chunk of 3G in the morning's first round, and Telstra replied by going over the top of Telecom.

Ihug director Nick Wood, who has adopted a strategy of bidding only after a clear round to keep the auction going, bid over the top of Australian company Hutchison Telecommunications for second-generation (2G) spectrum.

Walker Wireless, which has shown clear interest in the broadband 1098 frequencies for fixed services, again made a move for them yesterday.

Its battle with Telstra Saturn for the wide chunks of spectrum is likely to continue today, with the total amount raised by 1098 frequency sitting at $13.1 million.

Total bids have reached almost $73 million, with 3G accounting for $43 million of that.