News for 'Department of Telecom'

Telcos, DoT discuss part paying AGR ahead of SC ruling

Telcos, DoT discuss part paying AGR ahead of SC ruling

Rediff.com28 Jan 2020

The companies have offered to pay upfront the principal amount due for licence fees and spectrum usage charges (SUCs) on the basis of adjusted gross revenue (AGR). This amount will not include the interest, the penalty, and the interest on the penalty.

Govt revises FDI norms to shield firms from takeover

Govt revises FDI norms to shield firms from takeover

Rediff.com18 Apr 2020

The government on Saturday made its prior approval mandatory for foreign investments from countries that share land border with India to curb 'opportunistic takeovers' of domestic firms following the COVID-19 pandemic, a move which will restrict Foreign Direct Investment from China.

DoT may issue LoIs to all applicants

DoT may issue LoIs to all applicants

Rediff.com13 Nov 2007

The government is understood to have decided to issue letters of intent to all applicants seeking permission to start telecom services and is expecting that at least six companies will convert them into pan-India licences after submitting over Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) as initial licence fee.

Telcos: M-cap drops by Rs 33,000 crore

Telcos: M-cap drops by Rs 33,000 crore

Rediff.com12 Nov 2007

The spectrum tangle has also resulted in the fall of telecom share prices as investor confidence was eroded after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) decided to permit CDMA (Code division multiple access) players operate GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) services in their existing circles.

Bank funding of spectrum purchases hits DoT wall

Bank funding of spectrum purchases hits DoT wall

Rediff.com15 Feb 2014

Telecom department says spectrum can't be used as collateral because it's government property

3G auction begins, may go into 2nd round

3G auction begins, may go into 2nd round

Rediff.com9 Apr 2010

The much-awaited auction for 3G spectrum has begun. Top telecom operators including Bharti, Vodafone, Idea, RCom and Tatas are in the fray.

Now, video chats under govt scanner

Now, video chats under govt scanner

Rediff.com20 Apr 2011

After BlackBerry, the government has included a whole host of services, including video chats offered by telecom players, Nokia's push email service and Skype, into the ambit of security issues.

2G scam: How Raja's secretary overruled advice

2G scam: How Raja's secretary overruled advice

Rediff.com28 Oct 2011

Instructions of the personal secretary to the minister were taken as instructions of the minister himself.

Bharti Airtel gets Rs 1,067-cr I-T notice, to appeal

Bharti Airtel gets Rs 1,067-cr I-T notice, to appeal

Rediff.com19 Jan 2012

The income tax department has slapped a Rs 1,067-crore (Rs 10.67 billion) demand notice on telecom giant Bharti Airtel for alleged non-payment of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) dues in the past four financial years in connection with its operations abroad.

Additional spectrum: Hearing against Mittal, Ruia on April 4

Additional spectrum: Hearing against Mittal, Ruia on April 4

Rediff.com20 Feb 2014

Special CBI Judge O P Saini adjourned today's proceedings after advocate Siddharth Agarwal, appearing for Mittal, said the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear in March the separate pleas filed by Mittal and Ruia challenging the March 19, 2013 order of the trial court summoning them as accused in the case.

DoT asks S Tel to stop services

DoT asks S Tel to stop services

Rediff.com5 Mar 2010

S Tel, a joint venture between Chennai-based Siva Group and Bahrain Telecom (Batelco), has been directed to immediately stop its mobile services in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa, citing national security concerns.

Vodafone, Airtel, Idea resume 3G services in all circles

Vodafone, Airtel, Idea resume 3G services in all circles

Rediff.com5 May 2014

Telecom operators Vodafone and Idea Cellular on Monday said they will resume 3G services in circles where they don't have spectrum through intra-circle roaming (ICR) pacts with other operators.

Spectrum scam: SC notice to Raja, CBI, DoT

Spectrum scam: SC notice to Raja, CBI, DoT

Rediff.com13 Sep 2010

The Apex Court has asked the minister and the two agencies to respond to the notice within the next ten days.

Vodafone withdraw plea against DoT from court

Vodafone withdraw plea against DoT from court

Rediff.com14 Nov 2014

Vodafone had contended in its plea that DoT instead of signing and executing the ULs had at the last moment informed them that their request for deletion of 'restrictive' clauses in licence pertaining to roaming cannot be accepted.

Before the mega merger, Idea may have to liberalise spectrum held by Voda

Before the mega merger, Idea may have to liberalise spectrum held by Voda

Rediff.com28 May 2018

Idea may have to shell out Rs 4,500 crore in cash

3G: BSNL, MTNL not to seek sops

3G: BSNL, MTNL not to seek sops

Rediff.com20 May 2010

MTNL has a cash balance of Rs 5,000 crore.

Mobile operators may face music over border towers

Mobile operators may face music over border towers

Rediff.com17 Nov 2006

Concerned over mobile signals crossing the international border, the department of telecom is planning to take action against telecom operators

No refund to Bharti: TDSAT

No refund to Bharti: TDSAT

Rediff.com9 Mar 2005

In a major setback to the leading telecom giant, telecom tribunal TDSAT on Wednesday dismissed Bharti's petition for refund of Rs 135 crore (Rs 1.35 billion) paid by it as licence fees for entry into basic services prior to the new uniform licencing

Grey market? DoT may revoke license!

Grey market? DoT may revoke license!

Rediff.com7 Mar 2005

Hit hard by the rising number of illegal telecom exchanges and unauthenticated mobile customer base, Department of Telecom is considering amending the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 to include stringent penalties of up to Rs 5 crore.

Prasad urges telcos to optimise networks to curb call drops

Prasad urges telcos to optimise networks to curb call drops

Rediff.com25 Aug 2015

Telecom operators have cited shutting down of mobile towers and lack of spectrum, as the major reasons for call drops

FDI inflow declines 38% to $2.91 bn in September

FDI inflow declines 38% to $2.91 bn in September

Rediff.com3 Dec 2013

Foreign Direct Investment into the country declined by about 38 per cent, year-on-year, to $2.91 billion in September, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Judge Saini singles out Nair, Chatterjee in Dr Singh's PMO

Judge Saini singles out Nair, Chatterjee in Dr Singh's PMO

Rediff.com23 Dec 2017

'The question is: Who misrepresented the facts to the then PM? It was not A Raja but Pulok Chatterjee, in consultation with T K A Nair, as he had suppressed the most relevant and controversial part of the letter of A Raja from the then Prime Minister,' says the special CBI judge in his 2G spectrum case verdict.

The mystery of the never-ending con-call

The mystery of the never-ending con-call

Rediff.com11 Jun 2018

The attendee had to call into the conference call and say a few initial pleasantries to establish his/her presence, but could then leave the app to handle the rest once the Senior Company Bore began his monologue... A rib-tickling excerpt from Sanjeev Sanyal's Life Over Two Beers.

PSUs losing efficiency battle

PSUs losing efficiency battle

Rediff.com5 Mar 2004

Public sector companies and some government departments have come in for severe criticism in the India Infrastructure Report 2003. The report says the inefficiencies of PSUs have provided private firms with a huge pricing advantage.

Spectrum sale to fetch Rs 40,000 cr this fiscal

Spectrum sale to fetch Rs 40,000 cr this fiscal

Rediff.com2 Dec 2013

Despite getting lukewarm response from the earlier two auctions, the government on Monday said it is confident of meeting the revenue target of Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) from spectrum sale this fiscal.

Auction for 3G spectrum begins smoothly

Auction for 3G spectrum begins smoothly

Rediff.com9 Apr 2010

There are nine mobile operators, including the big six that would bid for the 3-4 slots on offer.

Responses to CAG's queries soon: Minister

Responses to CAG's queries soon: Minister

Rediff.com7 Apr 2010

Even the CBI has filed a case against some unknown officials of the DoT for conniving with private companies for manipulation of licence terms and conditions.

Mobile no. portability: Regulator to write to DoT

Mobile no. portability: Regulator to write to DoT

Rediff.com7 Apr 2010

Earlier this month, the department of telecommunication had said that MNP that will allow users to switch providers without changing their phone number was likely to be launched by June 30, 2010.

Raja MISLED Manmohan Singh on 2G allocation: CBI tells SC

Raja MISLED Manmohan Singh on 2G allocation: CBI tells SC

Rediff.com15 Apr 2015

He allegedly advanced the cut-off date to favour accused firms in allocation of 2G licences.

Govt may allow spectrum sharing

Govt may allow spectrum sharing

Rediff.com25 Aug 2009

The move would allow mobile operators with relatively less number of subscribers to share spectrum with other players.

11-digit mobile numbers soon

11-digit mobile numbers soon

Rediff.com1 Dec 2009

A senior Department of Telecom official said the proposal is there and a committee had suggested this. But he added that nothing has been finalised yet, therefore, no direction has been sent to the operators.

I-T slaps Rs 1,067 cr tax notice on Bharti

I-T slaps Rs 1,067 cr tax notice on Bharti

Rediff.com18 Jan 2012

The Income Tax Department has slapped a Rs 1,067-crore demand notice on telecom giant Bharti Airtel for non-payment of TDS dues in the last four financial years in connection with its overseas operations, even as the company said it was fully compliant with all the provisions.

Why IMEI code is a must for your mobile

Why IMEI code is a must for your mobile

Rediff.com19 Nov 2009

The telecom ministry has asked mobile operators to disconnect mobile phones without the IMEI number from December 1.

Congress may not seek action against Raja

Congress may not seek action against Raja

Rediff.com23 Oct 2009

The Congress on Friday indicated that it will not seek any action against Telecom Minister A Raja after raids on the office of Department of Telecom (DoT) in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum to new players, saying the FIR only named officials.

Telcos to be blamed for call drops? Not really, the issue is far deeper

Telcos to be blamed for call drops? Not really, the issue is far deeper

Rediff.com28 Aug 2015

A bigger problem is that there is no clear definition of "call drops".

RIL's 4G LYF handsets by Nov, co to share spectrum with RCom

RIL's 4G LYF handsets by Nov, co to share spectrum with RCom

Rediff.com16 Oct 2015

The sharing agreement will provide more bandwidth for RJIL to provide its high-speed 4G services.

Modi sarkaar abolishes all UPA GoMs, EGoMs

Modi sarkaar abolishes all UPA GoMs, EGoMs

Rediff.com31 May 2014

Dismantling a legacy of United Progressive Alliance rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has abolished all the 30 GoMs and EGoMs and told ministries and departments to take decisions on pending matters.

DoT may reject Trai's 2G pricing move

DoT may reject Trai's 2G pricing move

Rediff.com18 May 2010

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is likely to reject the telecom regulator's proposal to charge operators holding excess spectrum at a rate determined on the basis of the ongoing 3G bids.

Bharti Airtel frees MP CDMA spectrum

Bharti Airtel frees MP CDMA spectrum

Rediff.com5 Oct 2006

The operator was directed to pay the spectrum charges based on the combined GSM and CDMA spectrum allocated, which otherwise were to be charged separately, it argued.

Refer uniform license fee to regulator: Trai

Refer uniform license fee to regulator: Trai

Rediff.com14 Sep 2009

The department of telecommunication has decided that the existing variable licence fee structure for telecom operators should be replaced with a uniform one. An departmental note suggests a uniform licence fee of 8.5 per cent for all types of services.