There has been a huge controversy over the Net neutrality issue.
'The failures of private businessmen have set back the process of market-oriented reform, though that is the only way forward,' argues T N Ninan.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) have sent separate letters to the department of telecommunications (DoT), asking the government to bear the entire burden of nearly Rs 11,000 crore they need to fork out as one-time payment for additional spectrum.
The department of telecom has issued showcause notice to overseas telecom carriers AT&T and MCI Worldcom and network solutions company Equant for allegedly providing end-to-end managed data services without approval.
Miffed at a rise in annual licence fee on Internet service providers, industry body Internet Services Providers Association of India on Thursday said it would approach the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal, challenging the new fees.
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.
In a move that would result in the mellowing of the spectrum issue and enabling the new service providers to commence operations, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has begun identifying the quantity of unused spectrum across 23 circles in the country.
The Delhi HC has asked the department of telecommunications to not take any coercive action until the next hearing of the case.
The move will help telcos, including Reliance Jio, Vodafone, and Idea Cellular
DoT sent the final Cabinet note to various ministries on Monday. The telecom companies have to comply with the FDI guidelines by January 2.
The government is learnt to be preparing fresh plans to auction telecom spectrum that can fetch around Rs 39,895 crore.
A government group under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has broadly accepted a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) proposal favouring a three-pronged strategy to deal with the challenges arising out of the Supreme Court order cancelling 122 telecom licences.
Babus may now use private telecom, airline services
While Reliance/Infotel Broadband stands to gain if Qualcomm is forced out of the BWA race, will the potential Indian consumer of broadband wireless services gain from this unseemly tussle? That is a question that remains unanswered.
US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American lawyer and telecom policy expert Ajit Varadaraj Pai, who belongs to Republican party, as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the country's premier regulatory body.
Congress members in the Joint Parliamentary Committee looking into the 2G scam today sought to turn tables on the Bharatiya Janata Party by raising questions as to why the then Finance Minister Jaswant Singh approved a proposal of the Telecom Ministry in 2003 on reduction in licence fee without examining its financial implications.
Says action taken following Supreme Court order, not because of government decision
Winners of recently held 2G spectrum auction will have to make payment, either in full or at least 33 per cent of the due amount, by December 1, the Department of Telecom said on Thursday.
As per the provisional result, Vodafone emerged as the biggest winner getting additional spectrum in 14 circles.
These centres would permit people in the state, who have relatives in Muzaffarabad, to contact them on telephone free of charge for the next fortnight.
Amongst the top 10 sectors, telecom received the maximum FDI of $2.47 billion
The court issued notices to the Law Ministry and the DoT, rejecting their contentions that the same cannot be issued against them as they were not the parties to the case.
If it happens, this would mean the largest spectrum auction in terms of amount with over 7,000 Mhz going up for sale across eight bands
Out of the total of 25,359 complaints received during 2010, the highest of 8,330 were against Railways, 6,520 against banks, 1,836 against petroleum department and 1,572 were against telecom officials.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on Monday deferred a decision on Vodafone's Rs 10,141 crore (Rs 101.41 billion) proposal to buy out minority shareholders in its Indian arm as the Ministry of Home Affairs is yet to give its comments.
Government websites -- including those of the Prime Minister's Office, home and petroleum ministries, and the department of telecommunications -- were out of service for many hours on Monday. An official attributed the cause to firewall problems.
The move is being considered after growing clamour from competing 4G operators for a level playing field in relation to Qualcomm.
The ministry wanted to use spectrum in the 700-MHz band for mobile TV services.
It will also file a review petition on Friday, which, while not challenging the cancellation of licences, will seek a reconsideration of the court's declaration.
Department of Telecom is considering to move a Cabinet note suggesting that telecom companies with no foreign direct investment should be allowed to have foreign chief executives.
Both sides remained tigh-lipped about the meeting between Sibal and White House cybersecurity coordinator Howard Schmidt, Christopher Painter as Coordinator for Cyber Issues and Bruce Mcconnell Senior Coordinator for Department Under Secretary Homeland.
