Public sector telecom major, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), is all set to launch its 3G operations in 700 cities across north and east India by June and east India by June and in the south by July, a senior company official said.
BSNL on Wednesday denied allegations that it was blocking calls of private telecom operators like Reliance and Tatas, even as Trai asked all operators to maintain "status-quo" till the interconnection norms are announced.
The Telecommunications Bill, 2023, which was passed by a voice vote after a short debate, also allows the Centre to take possession of a telecom network in case of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety.
The US company will provide equipments for BSNL's network expansion in southern India aimed at adding 2.3 million subscribers in the region, it said in a statement. Under the terms of the contract, Motorola will ship GSM network equipment and provide a network services programme, including both software and hardware support, the statement added.
The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a petition filed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India challenging an order of TDSAT holding that the regulatory body had no authority to adjudicate on disputes raised by a service provider.
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.
Senior Indian Telecom Service officer A K Sinha on Thursday assumed charge as the chairman and managing director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
The minister said the reasons for withdrawal of landline connections includes preference for mobile phones, move to private operator, disconnections due to non-payment of dues and surrendering of second telephone taken for get internet connection due to availability of broadband. The total number of landlines in the country as on March 2008 is 39 million, which was 4 crore in March 2007. At present, BSNL has 31 million landline users while MTNL has 3.68 million users.
Close on the heels of the announcement of revised interconnect usage charges by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd said on Monday that it will have a "relook" at all tariff structures
Telecom monolith Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is the top profit-making public sector unit, while steel giant Steel Authority of India Limited had the dubious distinction of topping the list of loss making state-owned enterprises.
Expressing concern over decline in the share of public sector companies BSNL and MTNL in overall telephones during the last five years, the government on Friday asked them to plan for an additional 100-150 million lines over the next three years.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam will be able to provide mobile connections to wait-listed subscribers within two months as major expansion programme is likely to be over by January 2005, according to K G Sharma, chief general manager of BSNL, Maharashtra circle
Sam Pitroda said that the MTNL-BSNL merger is not the only solution and asked the government to give them more autonomy by lowering its stake to below 51 per cent.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is unlikely to participate in the tender floated by Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited to carry its STD traffic in Delhi and Mumbai even as the NYSE-listed MTNL has agreed to pay some of the STD dues immediately.
Indian consumers will have their tryst with 3G telecom services in the next six months, with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announcing that it is issuing state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) spectrum to roll out all-India services.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed Reliance Infocomm to pay up a balance Rs 84.7 crore to BSNL for the demand of Rs 182.7 crore made by it for using the 'home country direct' services.
Union Minister for State for Communications Ashok Pradhan has said the government will provide 'substantial' relief under a special package, on basic and mobile phones of BSNL, being presented as gifts to sisters on Raksha Bandhan on Tuesday.
With an aim to provide cheap connectivity to students, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Thursday announced a new basic telephone tariff scheme for students to access Internet with a monthly rental of Rs 99 and a usage charge of 60 paise per three minutes.
State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Wednesday indicated a reduction of upto 15 per cent in international long distance call rates especially for the US and UK.
The companies would set up a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer network that allows telephones to connect faster to the internet, IBM said. BSNL will use the network to offer new broadband-based, multi-play services.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd plans to provide broadband services in a big way in 2004 and would introduce the service in seven major cities in the country, including Chennai, BSNL chief managing director Prithipal Singh said on Thursday.
Department of telecommunications has set up a committee to look into the issue of escalating cost for the project.
BSNL will use the investment for mobile expansion and for services like 3G, broadband, wireless broadband, IPTV, WiMAX, mobile commerce (m-commerce), value-added landline, Enterprise Resource Planning and others.
In a major bonanza, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is planning to offer its 36 million customers an accident insurance scheme free of cost.
According to a senior company official, BSNL is in the process of appointing recovery agents on a commission basis to bring back the money.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has got two Mhz of additional spectrum from Department of Telecom to support its growing mobile subscriber base in the country.
BSNL, MTNL to match cell phone tariff cuts
IT company HCL Infosystems on Wednesday announced entering into partnership with state-run telecom operator BSNL for offering low-cost broadband-enabled computers in rural areas to bridge the digital divide.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has failed to get security clerance from security agencies for its monitoring equipment installed in the International Long Distance Network, a glitch that may further delay the PSU's ILD entry.
The chairman of the committee on public undertakings, V Kishore Chandra Deo, said in a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar that despite categorical instructions, Goyal did not attend the meeting, sources said.
The board is likely to take up the matter this month.
UP is the first state, where Novatium has launched these products.
Telecom regulator TRAI has said private GSM operators were acting as a "cartel" against MTNL and BSNL and charging higher tariffs from customers for calls terminating in the networks of the two state-run companies.
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.
Two years after having allotted third-generation (3G) spectrum without any contest to its own telecom companies, on the promise that they'd match the prices later paid by private sector winners of the auction for it, the communications ministry now wants them to get it for free.
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