The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has proposed to simplify the country's telecom landscape. It has suggested one tariff for each licence holder across the country, all-India mobile number portability and doing away with roaming charges.
In what could give a big relief to new mobile players, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is unlikely to cancel 53 licences - as recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) - for non-fulfilment of rollout obligations.
DoT has set up a committee to frame the proposed Act, which will have seven members with retired judge Justice Shivraj Patil as its chairman.
This is part of the government's plan to raise Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) from disinvestment in the current financial year.
The broad idea was endorsed by the DoT's internal panel in its report on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's recommendations last year on spectrum management and other licensing issues.
The average revenue per user (ARPU) of the country's four new GSM operators who got licences in 2008 - Uninor, S-Tel, Videocon and Etisalat DB - was between Rs 8.50 and Rs 39 in the January-March quarter.
The move will require a one-time payment of Rs 4,000-5,000 crore (Rs 40-50 billion), for which DoT would give financial support, a senior official from the latter told Business Standard.
The project, estimated to cost Rs 2,500-3,000 crore, is to be jointly implemented with the Ceylon Electricity Board, the largest power company of Sri Lanka.
The telecom PSU plans to get back in black in two years; BSNL too has started discussions to lease out its towers.
The idea is to reduce capital investments and improve profitability.
The scheme will be offered to 15,000 employees, or one-third of the workforce, in the current financial year.
The turnaround has been possible due to availability of domestic gas on priority.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has started talks on synergising operations with Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, which offers telecom services in Delhi and Mumbai.
RGPPL has signed a power purchase agreement with the government of Daman and Diu for selling about 98 Mw of power from July.
Scheme likely to come into force by June or July this year; both PSUs have been losing revenues and market share.
Department of telecommunications has set up a committee to look into the issue of escalating cost for the project.
The vacation of additional 2G and 3G spectrum may generate additional revenue of about Rs 80,000 crore (Rs 800 billion) on the basis of prices according to spectrum auctioned last year, DoT said in a note for the empowered group of ministers.
Firms to pay Rs 24,700 cr if spectrum formula is accepted.
A decision on the merger will take some time as there are procedural problems with MTNL being a listed entity and BSNL non-listed.
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