Mansi Taneja &Amp; Leslie D''monte

Stories by Mansi Taneja &Amp; Leslie D''monte

Mobile number portability to be delayed

Mobile number portability to be delayed

Rediff.com   16 Dec 2009

Mobile telephone subscribers would have to wait a little longer to change their service provider without changing their numbers.

More takers for Indian mobile handsets

More takers for Indian mobile handsets

Rediff.com   14 Dec 2009

With the government's crackdown on Chinese handsets, Indian brands like Karbonn, Lava, Micromax and Movil have usurped the vacated space and increased their share of the market to 15 per cent.

Vodafone looks to list Indian arm

Vodafone looks to list Indian arm

Rediff.com   12 Dec 2009

Vodafone Group Plc Chief Executive Vittorio Colao today said the company could list its Indian arm and was open to acquisitions when opportunities are available in the country. The head of the world's largest mobile company in terms of revenues suggested changes in the regulatory regime for mergers and acquisitions.

India's first entrepreneur to sell solar power

India's first entrepreneur to sell solar power

Rediff.com   9 Dec 2009

Inderpreet S Wadhwa, a former Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, sets up India's first commercial solar power plant Awan, Amritsar.

Bharti unit launches multiple SIM technology

Bharti unit launches multiple SIM technology

Rediff.com   9 Dec 2009

Comviva (formerly Bharti Telesoft) is in talks with several telecom service providers, including group company Bharti Airtel, to launch a SIM (or Subscriber Identity Module) card that allows up to 10 users to share the same mobile phone with their own specific numbers.

Facebook to get rid of India network

Facebook to get rid of India network

Rediff.com   3 Dec 2009

Almost 50 per cent of all the 350 million-odd active users on the social networking site are members of regional networks. The world's largest social networking site, Facebook, has decided to rid itself of regional networks like India and China in a bid to tighten its privacy policy.

Change your mobile operator? Delay likely

Change your mobile operator? Delay likely

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2009

MNP is expected to help in increasing competition between service providers, besides acting as a catalyst for the providers to improve their quality of service.

Telstra applies to re-enter Indian telecom market

Telstra applies to re-enter Indian telecom market

Rediff.com   27 Nov 2009

Plans majority stake in JV; to offer NLD, ILD, ISP services.

Telcos divided on delinking spectrum

Telcos divided on delinking spectrum

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2009

Airtel, Vodafone-Essar favour delinking; Reliance, Tata oppose.

BSNL, Vavasi talks for Zain buy fall through

BSNL, Vavasi talks for Zain buy fall through

Rediff.com   18 Nov 2009

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is likely to exit the consortium comprising Delhi-based Vavasi Group and Malaysia's Al-Bukhary to acquire 46 per cent in Kuwait's Zain Telecom.Talks, which have been on for two months, have fallen through over valuations, and Vavasi is expected to announce a new consortium partner in a week or two. Vavasi Group Managing Director Farid Afruddin declined to comment on this information.

DoT, defence scrap over 3G spectrum

DoT, defence scrap over 3G spectrum

Rediff.com   12 Nov 2009

The inter-ministerial battle over spectrum for 3G telecom services has intensified, with the department of telecommunications (DoT) rejecting a claim by the ministry of defence (MoD) that it has not accounted for 10 MHz of spectrum given to DoT at the end of October in the information memorandum (IM). This document provides potential private bidders with details on the auction process slated for January 14, 2010.

PepsiCo seeks FIPB nod to invest USD 200 mn more

PepsiCo seeks FIPB nod to invest USD 200 mn more

Rediff.com   31 Oct 2009

Soft drinks and foods major Pepsico India Holdings Pvt Ltd has applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to invest an additional $200 million (around Rs 950 crore) as equity in its Indian operations.

Intel eyes 4G entry in India

Intel eyes 4G entry in India

Rediff.com   29 Oct 2009

Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is understood to be in talks with leading Indian telecom companies like Tata Communications (formerly VSNL), Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications that could bid for broadband wireless access spectrum to be auctioned by the government in January 2010.

Verify internet users online, says DoT

Verify internet users online, says DoT

Rediff.com   26 Oct 2009

In a notification on its website, DoT said all internet and broadband subscribers using Wi-fi connectivity would need to get themselves registered with the respective telecom service providers for completing the centralised authentication procedure within 60 days.

FIPB defers Verizon's equity transfer proposal

FIPB defers Verizon's equity transfer proposal

Rediff.com   22 Oct 2009

In another example of the growing focus on security in the telecom sector, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board has asked whether US-based Verizon Wireless operates in Pakistan, while deferring its proposal for transfer of equity shares.

Vavasi in talks with China Mobile for Zain bid

Vavasi in talks with China Mobile for Zain bid

Rediff.com   15 Oct 2009

A consortium led by Delhi-based Vavasi group has sent feelers to China Mobile, the world's largest telecom company, for a possible joint bid for Zain Telecom, adding another element of complexity to the battle for the Kuwait-based company that involves India's two state-owned telecom service providers.

Zain deal gets okay after panel rejection

Zain deal gets okay after panel rejection

Rediff.com   14 Oct 2009

BSNL, MTNL respond to Vavasi despite advice to the contrary

Vavasi: A giant killer in India's telecom arena?

Vavasi: A giant killer in India's telecom arena?

Rediff.com   12 Oct 2009

Not too much is known about the middle-aged Arifuddin who is Vavasi's major shareholder, except for the fact that he is a civil engineer from Karnataka and started the group around a decade ago.

UAS licence dilemma: DoT writes to regulator

UAS licence dilemma: DoT writes to regulator

Rediff.com   8 Oct 2009

A decision on this issue is important because new operators would shy away from bidding for a standalone 3G licence if they are made to wait for years to get the UAS licence even though they have won bids for 3G. That would make the 3G project unviable from the very beginning.

BSNL, MTNL offered majority in Zain SPV

BSNL, MTNL offered majority in Zain SPV

Rediff.com   7 Oct 2009

The race for control of Kuwait-headquartered Zain Telecom has quickened with the Indian consortium led by Delhi-based Vavasi group saying it is willing to give a majority stake in the consortium to state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd or Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, depending on which company gets government approval to go ahead with the deal.