The government has said that 3G telephony spectrum available with it for sale currently could accommodate only three operators. A fourth slot has already been allotted to state-owned MTNL and BSNL. Earlier, it was decided that four private bidders could auction spectrum apart from the state owned players. Highly placed sources in the Telecom Ministry told AIR correspondent that the decision follows the Defence Ministry's hesitation to vacate designated spectrum for commercial use. A notification on the matter would be issued soon. The government fixed the reserve price of spectrum at 3,500 crore rupees for pan-India 3G spectrum and 1,750 crore rupees for Wimax or wireless internet and broadband. The auction is to begin from 14th of next month. Experts say the move could deprive the Telecom department of over 5000 crore rupees in revenue.