The tortuous process of spectrum allocation in Argentina has taken a dramatic turn, with the government cancelling its much-delayed sale of 1.9GHz and 850MHz 3G airwaves. Instead, it will now give the spectrum to a state controlled communications firm, Arsat. Arsat will seek joint venture partners to develop its own wireless network, which will add a new competitor to the market and drive lower mobile prices, according to planning minister Julio De Vido. He added: “We’re going to define how we’ll move forward with the use of these frequencies and their profitability will be given to all Argentines through Arsat.’ The decision will be highly unpopular with existing cellcos, which have been living through a series of delays to the…