State-run telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has placed an advance purchase order with Huawei of China on mobile equipment for 20 million GSM lines in the south zone. The PSU is also in advanced negotiations with Ericsson for the north and east zone.
"The aim is to build a network of around 30,000 broadband kiosks across India within a period of two years. We will set up the kiosks through franchisee in rural areas," a senior BSNL official said on Monday.
An Indian firm Vavasi Telecom is trying to rope in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited to pick up a stake in Zain.
State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is planning to set up 1,00,000 information kiosks covering 48 per cent of rural population by 2007 in an effort to provide broadband and connectivity in these areas.
Neotel, South Africa's second fixed line operator, intends to re-finance the debt with a long-term facility after 12 months.
Internet gateway and solutions provider Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has selected US-based Tekelec to manage its long distance signalling, inter-carrier and SMS traffic.
Private cellular operators have locked horns with state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd over sharing of the revenue earned from roaming subscribers within the country as well as those coming from abroad.
A bench comprising acting Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Hima Kohli granted a week's time to Motorola to file its reply on the response filed by BSNL.
The Delhi high court restrained BSNL on Thursday from awarding contracts for its Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) GSM network expansion project till November 30.
US telecom major Motorola's worldwide chief executive officer Ed Zander is visiting India next week and is expected to meet IT and Communication Minister Dayanidhi Maran.
BSNL started rolling out 3G services in north and east zones in February 2009, gradually expanding it to 113 cities. It had garnered a total subscriber base of 10,733 during the first four months itself. Initially, there was less coverage in the cities. That was gradually improved to cover entire cities. Also, at the time of the launch, only four services were available -- video calling, video conferencing, mobile TV and mobile broadband.
Instructions have been issued to circles to ensure timely issue of telephone bills and to effect disconnection of telephones for non-payment promptly. The company has fixed a 35-day deadline for disconnection due to non-payment of bills, the reply said. Hitherto, banks and credit card companies were among the chief patrons of recovery agents, whose more often than not high-handed methods of recovering dues came for flak from the Reserve Bank of India last year.
Close on the heels of acquiring Tyco Global Network for about Rs 600 crore (Rs 6 billion), Tatas-controlled Videsh Sanchar Nigam on Thursday said it was open to acquisitions and takeovers for maintaining high growth momentum.
Whatever the figure, it is obvious that the IPO will now have to be put on the backburner, after the company's disastrous results. The estimates are that when the company finally declares its accounts for 2008-09, it will be left with a profit of a few hundred crore rupees, down from over Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 30 billion) in the previous year (and that was less than half that in the year before).
"Private players are going only in those areas where there is a big market, whereas rural areas are by and large connected by BSNL. We are adding 20 million new lines this year to cover maximum foot print," minister of state for telecom Sachin Pilot said during the Question Hour.
Tata-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd said on Thursday it will invest $600 million to connect two international submarine cable networks.
American IT firm Speedera Networks said on Thursday that it was gearing up to double its workforce of 40 professionals at its Bangalore development centre.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Infocomm has been chosen the 'Telecom Man of the Year 2004
To provide Internet access to travellers, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd said on Wednesday it would set up cyber cafes at 68 major railway stations across the country.
State-owned telecom giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has no plans to come out with an initial public offer in the immediate future, a government statement said on Thursday.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has signed three agreements with Sri Lanka Telecom, including one for direct connectivity in international voice traffic
Tata group company Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd today said it is constructing a $250-million (about Rs 988 crore) worth cable system for linking Mumbai directly to Paris, London and Madrid via Egypt.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will foot the entire bill of a Rs 1,000-crore (Rs 10-billion) project to release 45 Mhz of spectrum from defence to civilian use, after providing the armed forces alternative equipment for their communication needs.
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd, the Internet services provider, has launched a corporate data product, 'Tata Indicom Bandwidth-On-Demand' for its leased line customers in the country.
International long distance carrier Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited on Friday urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to scrap the access deficit charge as it was leading to smuggling of international calls.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will provide six crore new mobile telephone connections across the country within the next four years, its director (planning and new services) R L Dube said on Saturday.
Motorola on Tuesday said it is in talks with Reliance Infocomm to provide set top boxes for the company's Internet Protocol Television rollout in the country.
BSNL would shortly sign memoranda of understanding with Korea Telecom and Microsoft for rolling out broadband services under the National Internet Backbone phase two project in the country, its chairman and managing director V P Sinha said.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has launched a suite of Marathi, Hindi and English-based services on the voice platform for its Maharashtra CellOne and landline subscribers.
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