Mobile Fair-Vodafone seeks Indian spectrum, could buy on mkt
BARCELONA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Mobile phone operator Vodafone (VOD.L) said on Tuesday it wanted more spectrum in India and might have to buy it on the market if the government does not make more available.
"Our first preference is to get more spectrum from the government," Chief Executive Arun Sarin told a news conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the wireless industry's main trade show.
"If they can't make it available, we would have to find cheapest spectrum around us," he said.
Sarin also said he had told the European Union's top telecoms regulator Vivian Reding he opposed retail-level regulation of roaming charges for text messages and data, but was not against wholesale regulation because that would allow companies to continue to innovate.
"If you regulate at the retail level, you have basically killed off all innovation," he said.
Reding has given operators until July 1 to cut charges for texting or surfing the Web via mobile phones when abroad or else face EU regulation. (Reporting by Niclas Mika; Editing by David Holmes)
