Rating agency Fitch Ratings has said mobile number portability (MNP) is unlikely to hit operators, considering the dominant pre-paid nature of the market and high churn rate, and opined that India will not behave too differently from rest of Asia on this matter.
A rare bonhomie among three private telecom companies in raising tariffs coming on the back of a bailout package by the government may have helped the telecom sector avert a crisis but the challenges haven't ceased to exist as the industry faces a cash-guzzling task of rolling out 5G networks in the coming months. The sector that provides direct and indirect employment to millions is projected to see Rs 1.3 lakh crore to Rs 2.3 lakh crore of investments in the coming years in creating robust infrastructure and building telecom and network products that have been incentivised by the government through PLI and other initiatives. After years of cut-throat competition and the apex court ruling on payment of past statutory dues left some players in the lurch, billionaire Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel and struggling Vodafone Idea almost in tandem raised tariffs, taking the plunge they had long been talking about.
Mobile operators got a reprieve with the Telecom and Regulatory Authority of India allowing them to continue with their existing short messaging codes for SMS services by extending their compliance period.
The apex court made it clear that banks and telecom service providers will have to indicate the last date of linking bank accounts and mobile numbers with Aadhaar in their communications with customers.
The US company is driving this strategy through a combination of initiatives, including working with telecom carriers to offer Facebook to users at an affordable rate.
In a recent letter, the telecom equipment makers and their associations wrote: "We urge the government of India to suspend the October 30 draft DoT notification, clarify that the PMA policy will not be applied to any private sector procurements, and initiate a consultation process with global industry and other stakeholders to more effectively address India's security and economic concerns."
Reliance Jio's decision to acquire 700 MHz in combination with the possible use of an advanced standalone (SA) 5G network could give it an edge over its rivals, according to most analysts. The dissenters argue that the stiff price tag touching Rs 40,000 crore to grab 10 MHz of spectrum in 700 to provide coverage for its SA 5G network which offers ultra-low latency (unlike non-standalone or NSA), has a long way to go in India in terms of finding use cases that can be monetised. Globally, 700 MHz is a pivotal band which provides huge coverage, indoor penetration (especially useful in India where walls are thick) and is already considered by the European Union to be the 'pioneer band' for 5G, with 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz, both of which were auctioned in India recently.
The minister said tariff plans are of bundled nature and the trade-off is generally between monthly fixed charges and variable (call) charges.
In Bangladesh, a call drop has more to do with network quality, while in India it is linked to spectrum shortage.
Reliance Communications lost the largest number of users.
The chipset accounts for over 25%-30% of the cost of an average smart phone. Hence, a reduction in its price, device makers say, will make a huge difference to the cost of a phone.
Indian telecom operators came out in open support of Chinese equipment makers, saying the government cannot deprive Indian consumers of the cutting-edge technology which these companies offer by denying security clearance to them.
The telecom companies have also been asked to urgently improve their infrastructure, as the government aims to digitise a host of services.
Under the UASL norms, spectrum is linked to licences, and a particular band of radio wave is restricted to be used in a particular technology
These customers will be unable to meet the lowest recharge requirements for Jio, meaning they will either exit the market or migrate to BSNL/MTNL.
The long-overdue consolidation makes indebted RCom an even more attractive partner for a soon-to-launch upstart led by older brother Mukesh.
The new licences will do away with different kinds of permits that are issued to telecom companies for offering various services.
High-value post-paid subscribers are more likely to use number portability in India where the market is dominated by pre-paid subscribers who look for the cheapest service.
In February, the Supreme Court had cancelled 122 telecom licences. Many of these belonged to foreign companies or companies with foreign investors.
Telcos Reliance Jio and Bharti may post a 5-7 per cent sequential rise in revenue with a steady margin for the second quarter of FY22, according to Jefferies. Bharti's growth will be led by segmented tariff hikes taken in the second quarter ended September, while Jio's growth will be driven by continued subscriber growth, it further said. Jefferies expects the outlook on tariff hikes for Bharti, further details on JioPhone Next for Jio, and tenancy outlook for Indus Towers to be the key things to watch for in the September quarter.
Based on industry estimates, telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL, are expected to invest over $10 billion on buying 5G telecom equipment in the next five years as they transition from non-standalone networks to standalone 5G networks.
Mr Tata said a letter had arrived in his office from a young woman who had applied for the graduate engineering programme of TELCO Pune and been turned down. 'I wouldn't interfere with your selection process, Maira,' he said. 'However, I am calling you because this lady says that her rejection letter says that though she is very well qualified for the programme, TELCO Pune cannot select her because she is a woman.' 'Why are you discriminating against women?' he asked. A must read excerpt from Arun Maira's The Learning Factory: How The Leaders Of Tata Became Nation Builders.
Telecom regulator TRAI on Tuesday suspended the newly-implemented norms for commercial text messages for one week, following major disruptions in SMS and OTP deliveries for banking, payment, and other transactions.
Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Monday unveiled its wholesale service portfolio that will enable telecom operators across 50 countries access its services. Bharti Airtel's wholesale portfolio will offer MPLS, ethernet, IP and International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC) services to global carriers through its global network with a reach to 50 countries, Bharti Airtel said in a statement.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said they must offer good services to the customers if they want any help from the government.
Trai calls both Jio and incumbents for a meeting to discuss the issue
Vodafone Idea on Monday paid Rs 2,500 crore to DoT and promised to pay another Rs 1,000 crore before the end of the week.
'By the end of 2022, we expect the installed base of 5G smartphones in India to reach 80-85 million.'
Firming up their rollout plans, the new telecom licensees will invest around $2 billion in the next four months for the rollout of their services.
Says extreme secrecy is maintained and utmost care and precaution is taken in matter of interception as it affects privacy of citizens
New services will bring the IPL to mobile phone screens.
The auctions for spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands came to an end on Thursday after 10 days of aggressive bidding by the country's major telecom operators.
The CAG report, tabled in Parliament, states the interest on the short payment stood at Rs 1,052.13 crore for the period up to March 2016.
Delhi High Court says it can do so under the TRAI Act, rejects petitions filed by telecom associations.
Telecom operators owe government a huge amount of Rs 17,980.77 crore in licence fee and spectrum charges, but the outstandings are under litigations, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
The Union Cabinet has approved the modalities for holding 5G spectrum auctions, and 72097.85 MHz of radio waves will be put on the block by July-end, an official release said on Wednesday.
British telecom giant Vodafone is in discussions to sell its about 5 per cent stake in telecom infrastructure company Indus Towers to Bharti Airtel, according to industry sources. The deal, if it goes through, could be worth over Rs 3,300 crore, they said. When contacted, Vodafone refused to comment on the matter. An e-mail sent to Bharti Airtel did not elicit any response.
Telecom shares rallied on hopes that they would hike tariffs after huge investments to acquire spectrum.
