News - Telecom

• DoT’s new proposals fail to break spectrum deadlock (The Hindu Business Line 4th Dec 2007) The spectrum allocation issue continues to be in a deadlock with both GSM and CDMA based mobile operators rejecting the new set of proposals put forward by the Department of Telecom on Monday. This was the second meeting convened by the DoT Secretary to find a solution to the spectrum battle but the operators are so sharply divided that none of them was prepared to soften their known positions.
• Why not cap telecom tariffs, Govt asks regulator (The Hindu Business Line 4th Dec 2007) With mobile operators recently increasing tariffs, the Government has asked the telecom regulator to review the policy of forbearance on telecom tariffs. The Ministry of Communication has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to consider whether there is a need for fixing a ceiling tariff for mobile, broadband and fixed line telephone services.
  As per existing norms, TRAI has allowed market forces to determine telecom tariffs on the grounds that there was enough competition in the sector. Tariff for leased line circuits and national mobile roaming services are, however, still regulated.
• Airtel working on tech that will ring in mobile shopping (Live mint.com 29th Nov 2007)India’s largest mobile phone services firm by subscribers, Bharti Airtel Ltd, claims it is developing a new technology that will enable its 50 million customers to use their cellular phones to shop at retail outlets being set up from next year by the company’s parent.
  The group’s holding company, Bharti Enterprises Ltd, which runs an insurance business partnering with French insurer AXA Group and a retail venture in partnership with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., plans to “cross-sell” products across these businesses.
  “Mobiles will (enable) an information portal in the hands of a customer, using which, they can transact and communicate with other Bharti businesses, including retail,” said Jai Menon, group chief information officer and director innovation at Bharti Airtel.
• Auctioning best way to allocate spectrum: Raja (The Hindu Business Line 29 th Nov 2007)The Communications and IT Minister, Mr A. Raja, has said that he is personally in favour of conducting auctions for 2G mobile services but could not do so due to legal issues.
  In a letter written to Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, the Minister has admitted that auction is the most transparent way to allocate spectrum.
• Let both telecom, cable operators offer Internet Television: TRAI (The Hindu Business Line 29 th Nov 2007) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested that both telecom operators and cable TV operators should be allowed to offer Internet Television Protocol (IPTV).
  In a draft recommendation released on Wednesday, the telecom regulator has also said that the Cable TV Act should be amended to allow broadcasters to provide signals to all distributors of TV channels such as cable operators, Multi System Operators (MSOs), Direct to Home (DTH) operators, Headend In The Sky (HITS) operators and IPTV service providers.
  The TRAI recommendations come in the wake of questions being raised as to whether laws governing cable TV permit IPTV services.
• TRAI recommendation: Bharti, RCom get relief (The Hindu Business Line 29 th Nov 2007)The telecom regulator’s draft recommendation on provision of IPTV services appears encouraging for telecom players who are charting forays into this business.
  The TRAI has indicated that telecom operators having Unified Access (UASL) and CMTS (cellular mobile telephone services) licences do not need additional licences or clearances to start IPTV services.
  For players such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, and BSNL, who are looking to launch this service over the next few months, this is a definite relief as there will be no additional cash outflow to secure licences. MTNL is already providing this service in Mumbai and Delhi.
• Samsung announces open market phone in CDMA segment (Live mint.com 28th Nov 2007)Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, a global leader in the mobile phone industry, announced the launch of its first open market phone in the CDMA segment—Samsung Max.
  Samsung Max is launched through company’s own distribution network and will be available to both Tata Indicom and Reliance Mobile subscribers.
  Until now Samsung offered CDMA phones exclusively on either Tata Indicom or Reliance Mobile Networks. With the launch of Max, Samsung aims to cater the growing CDMA market, where consumers want to upgrade.
  Its availability in the open market will further empower CDMA consumers to choose the operators of their choice.
• Nokia Siemens refuses to accept BSNL’s GSM tender (Livemint.com 23rd Nov 2007)State-run telecom major BSNL’s plans to expand the GSM network has again come across a hurdle with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) refusing to accept its share of the 22.5-million-lines contract due to price differences.
• Telecom cos add 8.1 mn wireless users in Oct (Livemint.com23rd Nov 2007)India added 8.1 million wireless users in October, taking the subscriber base to over 217 million, while total telephone numbers crossed the 250 million mark two months ahead of target, the regulator said.
• Subscriber base in 2010: India could miss 500 million target (Livemint.com22nd Nov 2007)India will miss the government-set target of 500 million mobile phones by 2010 if the market continues to grow at the current rate and issues related to allocation of radio waves are not resolved, said two consultants.
• RCom wins licence, in line for spectrum (Live mint.com 20th Oct 2007) Reliance Communications Ltd, or RCom, India’s second ranked wireless operator by customers, has received a licence from the government to offer mobile phone services on the so-called GSM technology, and is a step away from consolidating its presence in a market segment that is growing the fastest in the world.
  Networks that run on GSM, a wireless technology platform, count three among four wireless customers in a country of more than 206 million subscribers. The GSM subscriber base is expanding at nearly 4% every month, a growth driven by affordability and increasing spread of the phone network.