The department of telecommunications has referred the issue of using multiple technologies under a single unified access services licence to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
Concerned that they will not be able to comply with downlinking guidelines and cable laws, broadcasters and the cable industry have strongly opposed any move to govern Internet Protocol TV services through the Unified Access Service Licence agreement
Reliance Infotel to be the biggest beneficiary.
In a definite signal that mobile phone service providers are not going to lose their licences even after the scheduled end of their validity, the Department of Telecommunications has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to recommend terms and conditions for extending the licence periods forever.
Some 74 applications for these licences for mobile services are pending with the Department of Telecom.
Joining the rush of companies looking for spectrum, BPL Mobile has applied for a unified access service licence in 21 of the country's 23 telecom circles.
The telecom foray is the second diversification outside its core business of developing residential and commercial real estate -- it is already in the Special Economic Zone space with five zones to be set up across the country.
Various corporate houses and multinational companies including AT&T, Russian firm Sistema, Sterlite, Hindujas, DLF, Parsavnath, Videocon and others have entered the fray to get telecom licences.
Recommendations may encourage consolidation.
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 exercise is ostensibly for security reasons and to prevent misuse of the freedom of speech in cyberspace.
The Unified Licence for all 22 Service Areas across India will make the company the first telecom operator in the country to get pan India Unified Licence, the company said in a statement.
The company's licences in 15 circles have been cancelled as a part of the court's verdict.
DoT further clarified that since 2003 as many as 51 new licences were issued prior to January 2008 under the same guidelines on first come first served basis.
Out of 122 Unified Access Service licences awarded in 2008, as many as 85 licences were given to the six new entrants to the telecom sector.
In stark contrast with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommendation that only Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) licence-holders should participate in 3G auctions, Communications Minister A Raja today suggested that foreign telecom companies, too, would be permitted to bid for 3G spectrum.
The ISPs had already made a presentation to telecom minister Kapil Sibal to request his help in such a process if the government did not want to continue with the current ISP regime.
However, this rule will not be applicable to companies holding licences for a period of three years, even if they acquire licences in other circles to expand their operations, according to sources close to the development. The suggestion was made by the DoT to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, which will decide on making it a regulation, along with other suggestions on the lock-in period put forward by the licensor.
Confirming the development, Chairman Venugopal Dhoot said, "We will use the CDMA technology for mobile services in the country."
In its report tabled in Parliament, the CAG said the Swan Telecom's application was 'in effect against the intent and spirit' of the Unified Access Service Licencing guidelines as it was among those beneficiaries which 'suppressed facts, disclosed incomplete information and submitted fictitious documents' to the department of telecommunication.
DoT has stated in an internal note that the 3G roaming agreements between these three companies are tantamount to their becoming mobile virtual network operators, something not allowed under the current policy.
13 companies have submitted more than 230 applications for telecom licences and most of these are for a pan-India UASL. DLF and Omaxe join other real estate firms Indiabulls Real Estate, Unitech and Parsvnath Developers to apply for telecom licence.
This is the second instance of a realty firm foraying into telecom in less than a month. In August, Delhi-based Parsvnath Developers had submitted an application to the DoT for a Unified Access Service licence in 22 circles.
The government has turned down Bharat Sanchar Nigam's Limited's proposal to offer services in Mumbai and Delhi metros, saying guidelines do not permit it.
A former TRAI chief, who appeared before a Parliamentary panel today, rejected suggestions that private telecom players benefitted from his decisions.
The cable industry has asked the government to quickly address the policy issues related to the Internet Protocol TV. Otherwise, over 3,000 unauthorised television channels, which include pornography, will enter Indian homes.
The government on Tuesday tabled in Parliament the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on 2G spectrum allocation, whose reported extracts have created a political storm and led to the resignation of Telecom Minister A Raja.
To bring clarity, the department clearly defines terms such as promoter and competitor.
In India, there are 22 services area, or circles, for 2G telecom services and both the companies operate in all the circles.
Reliance Industries, which holds pan-India 4G telecom spectrum for data services, has applied for a licence to offer mobile telephony.
Vodafone has to sell its entire stake in Airtel following new norms issued by government.
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
Airtel, Vodafone-Essar favour delinking; Reliance, Tata oppose.
Bharti Televentures on Thursday announced plans to provide GSM services to six eastern and north-eastern states as well as to Andaman & Nicobar Islands, in two phases.
In a major setback to Bharti Group which offers telecom services under AirTel brand, the Supreme Court has turned down its plea seeking refund of Rs 135 crore (Rs 1.35 billion) for surrendering five basic licences.
UK-based Vodafone Group has ruled out selling its around 5 per cent stake in the holding company of Bharti Airtel in the near future as there is no buyer.
Amid tight security and an altercation with HFCL chief Mahendra Nahata at Sanchar Bhawan, headquarters of the Department of Telecom, nine companies among 45 applicants were offered letters of intent (LoIs) for unified access service licenses (UASL).
New operators, including Uninor, MTS, STel, Etisalat DB and Videocon, which were given unified access service (UAS) licences in 2008, have together captured 14 per cent of the incremental share in addition of new subscribers over the last one year.
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