The list of players that made today's 11am deadline with auction overseer he Australian Communications Authority comprised mostly major local telco and ISP players. No small or overseas players applied.
-It was a question of waiting and seeing," an ACA spokesman said. He said the ACA had not publicly stated which companies it expected to apply for the auction.
Singapore telecommunications giant Sing Tel was tipped to be a major force in the auction but failed to submit an application.
And the telecommunications company that runs Australia's fourth largest ISP, iPrimus, was absent from the list.
The Federal Government is counting on the sale of the airwave space, due to be finalised in mid-March, to reach AU$2.6 billion in order to meet budget surplus for the 2000-2001 financial year.
Applicants were made to pay entry fees of AU$50,000 each to lodge submissions.
Successful bidders will be allotted licences for spectrum in the 2GHz range for 15 years from October 2002.
Spectrum will be awarded in lots - totaling 58 lots - and no single bidder will be awarded more than 25 percent of available airspace in metropolitan areas, the ACA said.
The list of bidders includes: AAPT, Hutchison, Optus Mobile, Telstra, Vodafone Pacific, CKW Wireless and 3G Investments (Australia).
