State-run telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) says it expects to increase its visibility in the domestic and international markets, besides improving company performance, as a fallout of the proposed initial public offering (IPO) of equity.
Even as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has started investigating into the complaints of predatory pricing offered by some of the new operators, experts are divided over whether the current scenario actually resembles predatory pricing.
The ongoing rate war in the mobile industry has led to an increase in multiple Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs), which means a subscriber owns multiple connections to make full use of the various schemes and promotional offers.
Mobile telephone subscribers would have to wait a little longer to change their service provider without changing their numbers.
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 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.
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.
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.
Plans majority stake in JV; to offer NLD, ILD, ISP services.
Airtel, Vodafone-Essar favour delinking; Reliance, Tata oppose.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
BSNL, MTNL respond to Vavasi despite advice to the contrary
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.
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.
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.
Essar group, which is buying out the Uganda and Congo assets of Warid Telecom -- a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Group and Singtel and is present in Kenya, has also reportedly been sounded out by Zain shareholders. A company spokesperson, however, declined to comment on the issue.
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