RCom, which, sources say had offered to pick up a 51 per cent stake in MTN through a complicated share-swap deal through which shareholders of the African company would pick up stake in RCom, had asked for an extension of the exclusivity talks for another three to four weeks.
It has suggested OTTs be subject to the same security requirements that a traditional TSP has to adhere to.
The contracts for the procurement of the platforms and weapons systems were signed in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and defence secretary Giridhar Aramane, under whose guidance these deals fructified, an official readout said.
Anil Ambani Group company, Reliance Communication Ventures Ltd said on Monday it will raise upto $1 billion through its Sponsored Global Depository Receipts and American Depository Receipts programme.
Buoyed by the entry of new telecom players and entry of Reliance Communications in the GSM space, the Indian telecom industry clocked the highest subscriber-addition in a month, by adding 15.87 million subscribers in March 2009.
Noting that Indian firms face a high risk of mark-to-market losses due to a volatile forex market, a brokerage firm has named telecom major Reliance Communications and auto giant Tata Motors among five blue-chip companies estimated to have suffered the most during 2008-09.
The battle for subscribers in the direct-to-home (DTH) market is hotting up with Reliance Communications (RCom) close to finalising a bulk deal with the country's leading TV manufacturers -- LG Electronics, Samsung India and Sanyo -- which will be offered to customers at a hefty discount bundled with a DTH package.
However, the IT firms will get some benefits, as software exports from their Chinese campuses will yield more in local currency
The total revenues and net profit of the top six Indian telecom players, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, BSNL, Hutchison Essar, MTNL and Idea Cellular, more than doubled during the last two years.
RCom proposed to raise Rs 10,000 crore through a long-term fund-based facility and the remaining Rs 3,000 crore through a non-convertible debenture issue. The firm is raising the debt to meet the capex requirements of various projects, including expansion of GSM network, and repayment of debts. The capex for the next financial year (Rs 150 billion) also includes expansion plans of its telecom infrastructure subsidiary, Reliance Infratel.
There was an under reporting of Rs 1000 crore (Rs 10 billion) to Rs 1500 crore (Rs 15 billion) by the telecom firms, to avoid payment of licence fee, and the government may have lost about Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) because of this, telecom minister A Raja said during Question Hour.
Currently, subscribers pay 50-60p for an SMS. By comparison, Tata Teleservices charges a paisa per word, for up to 15 characters.
The department of telecommunications is planning to seek details from four operators - Bharti-Airtel, Hutchison-Essar, Tata Teleservices Ltd and Reliance Communications - on the fulfillment of rollout obligations under the mobile telephony licence.
It is estimated that RCom has been reeling under debt of over Rs 46,000 crore.
Reliance Communications' third entry into the telecom business, starting with the time it was run under a different name when the Ambanis were an undivided group, has predictably got the mobile industry in a tizzy.
Traditional heavy spenders on cricket properties Vodafone, car maker Hyundai Motors, Reliance Communications and soft drink major Coca-Cola have decided to stay out of the bidding for the sponsorship of the Indian cricket team with the Board of Control for Cricket in India setting a steep base price to Rs 510 crore for a four-year deal for one of cricket's most coveted sponsorships.
Reliance has no illegal Swiss Bank accounts.
RComm has reportedly acquired an African firm for $500 million to offer telecom access services in Uganda.
Firming up its plans to rollout direct-to-home (DTH) television services, telecom firm Reliance Communications (RCom) has booked capacity on Malaysian satellite system, MEASAT-3. The deal size could not be confirmed, while it is understood that the deal is signed for around 15-20 years. RCom has booked four transponders, with an option to add four transponders after a year on MEASAT-3.
ADAG company offers one-time subscription charge of Rs 25. To capture its share in the fast-growing GSM subscriber base, RCom has focused on the segment that provides less than Rs 300 as average revenue per user and launched its services at competitive prices.
Anil Ambani Group firm Reliance Communications said it has bought back foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) worth Rs 121.22 crore (Rs 1.21 billion).
The race for Hutch-Essar, the country's fourth largest mobile service provider, quickened on Wednesday with Hong-Kong based Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd formally informing the 4 companies in the fray to submit their bids by Friday
Falcon, which is owned by Flag Telecom, has been damaged in the Middle East but it is unlikely to affect Net operations across India.
DoT sources confirmed receipt of the report by auditors Parekh and Co and said that it is yet to examine the findings. DoT would ask for RCom's response later.
Electronics major has tied up with Reliance Comm and Tata Tele.
Nifty gained 21 points to close at 5,024. The market breadth, however, was weak. The market breadth, however, was weak. Out of 2,791 stocks traded on Tuesday, there were 1,709 advancing stocks as against 1,012 declines.
The British teleco is bidding hard for cellular operator Hutchison Essar. At stake: the world's fastest growing mobile market-and Vodafone's reputation.
RComm has decided to raise the retirement age of its employees from 58 to 65 years. This move is seen as part of its expansion plan and difficulty of recruiting sufficient staff.
Rival bidders Vodafone and Reliance Communications are studying the possibility of taking an indirect route to acquire control of Hutchison Essar to skirt the right of first refusal claimed by the Essar group.
After a strong start to the week on Tuesday, the Sensex this morning opened 15 points higher at 16,868 amid subdued global cues.
Delhi HC has refused to stay the process of spectrum allotment to RCom, giving a major setback to GSM operators.
Anil Ambani severely criticised the attitude of GSM operators and raised the issue of returning the extra spectrum again.
Passing an interim order, Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal also directed BSNL to restore RCom's inter- connection within 48 hours of such payment. TDSAT Chairman Justice Arun Kumar said: "I am of a view that the petitioner (Rcom) should deposit an amount of 65 per cent of disputed claim in one week and respondent should restore the connection with 48 hours of the deposit."
With Bharti Airtel making it to the list of top-ten advertisers of the year, cellular phone service providers as a category have overthrown fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) products such as toilet soaps and shampoos to emerge as the top advertising category on television in 2007.
Essar holds the key for the future of telecom joint venture Hutch-Essar, as domestic and global firms, including Reliance Communications and British giant Vodafone, reportedly vie with each other to acquire the country's third-largest mobile operator
Among the sectoral indices, realty and metal indices lead the rally.
Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Authority had on December 12 refused to stay the government's process of awarding new licences and allocating airwaves to mobile firms, a decision which existing GSM players say would hurt them Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular are the major GSM players in Cellular Operators Association of India, but it is learnt that there is no consensus within the lobby group over moving the high court.
