Bulgaria set to auction another wireless license

Bulgaria will auction a mobile phone license on July 29 that will allow the launch of a fourth wireless operator in the European Union newcomer, a Reuters report said.

Some 12 companies, including Turkish mobile operator Turkcell, have expressed initial interest in acquiring the 20-year GSM license, the report said.

The tender will have a starting price of 38 million leva (€19.4 million) according to the regulator.

Interested suitors should express their interest in taking part in the auction by July 11.

The three current mobile phone operators in the Balkan country of 7.7 million people have so far not expressed interest in the tender, although initially Telekom Austria's Mobiltel and Cosmote's Globul considered it.

Bulgaria's third GSM operator, Vivatel, part of telecoms BTC and owned by US insurance giant AIG, has not expressed interest.