The Indian government does not plan to privatise state-run telecom firms Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd before 2004.
In the first ever indication of a possible merger of two public sector telecom companies, MTNL and BSNL, the government on Thursday said it was appointing advisors for synergising their operations.
"There is no plan to disinvest in BSNL," Telecom Secretary J S Sarma told reporters
United States-based telecom vendor Motorola on Wednesday said it will once again join the race in case fresh bids were called.
In a setback to the telecom regulator, the Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal has barred TRAI from intervening in any dispute arising between two operators on the terms and conditions of interconnection.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Thursday said it will add 46,000 broadband connections in a month to finish the current fiscal with 85,000 broadband customers in Maharashtra and Goa circles.
Being the only universal service provider in uneconomic areas, the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has sought exemption from contributing to the dedicated fund saying it should be reimbursed directly on the basis of cost incurred.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Thursday said it would take a decision next week on cellular operators' complaint against Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's latest international and STD tariffs.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's goal to reach the one million subscriber base target in broadband services by 2005 end looks remote if numbers are any indication.
In a move that might further reduce call tariffs and serve as a major incentive to telecom operators, the government is likely to recommend that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd must charge levy from private operators on revenue share.
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Defending the continuation of Universal Service Obligation support, a fund to subsidise unprofitable operations of otherwise profit making telecom PSUs like BSNL, the government on Tuesday said USO exists for all players and not for BSNL alone.
Telecom tariffs set to fall significantly across the board as sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India announced on Wednesday a cut of more than 37 per cent in the levy paid by private players to BSNL.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will soon start negotiations with the Tata-controlled Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd to match the rates offered by other ILD operators like Data Access for routing its traffic.
Telecom services across the country could suffer, with the Department of Telecom ready to recall over 2,200 of its officers on deputation in MTNL and BSNL.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Thursday announced international roaming on its cellphone services and slashed SMS charges for its post-paid cellular subscribers to 40 paise per message from the existing 60 paise.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has signed an agreement with Tatas-controlled Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd to use the latter's network for offering its international long distance services, a top BSNL official said on Thursday.
A major breakdown at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's mobile switching unit, due to a power surge, on Monday disrupted nearly 300,000 BSNL Cellone mobile connections in Chennai, causing anxiety among the subscribers.
Motorola also said it will consider manufacturing in India to comply with the eligibility criteria of deals with state-run carriers.
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd have entered into a strategic alliance, under which the two public-sector telecom companies will jointly offer their voice and data services.
India has recorded the fastest growth in mobile telephony in the world with as many as 13 lakh cellular additions every month, Minister for Communications and IT Arun Shourie said on Friday.
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