Addressing mediapersons after the investiture ceremony of ARTRAC, Singh said the Army has to understand and study these scenarios so that it is prepared if it has to undergo a similar situation tomorrow.
In a desperate attempt to grab spectrum and start operations in new circles ahead of rivals, leading GSM operators have informed the government that they are willing to start services with less than 4.4 MHz spectrum. Vodafone Essar has intimated its willingness to start operations in new circles where the availability of spectrum is less than 4.4 MHz.
Auction of 3G spectrum (air waves) is slated to commence on January 14, but has been plagued by differences between Defence and Telecom Ministries over vacation of spectrum for civilian use.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry today said it could not put in place a regulatory framework for mobile TV service as the available spectrum for the service was far below requirement.
The inter-ministerial battle over spectrum for 3G telecom services has intensified, with the department of telecommunications (DoT) rejecting a claim by the ministry of defence (MoD) that it has not accounted for 10 MHz of spectrum given to DoT at the end of October in the information memorandum (IM). This document provides potential private bidders with details on the auction process slated for January 14, 2010.
The government has set base prices for all the 22 zones at Rs 3,500 crore.
CDMA operators on Tuesday slammed a report of the DOT spectrum committee on airwave allocation, saying it is 'highly inclined' in favour of the GSM operators.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) could have performed better in the recently-held Lok Sabha polls and perhaps, too much time was spent in reaching seat-sharing agreements, Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has said.
Sibal said the government will have enough radio waves for all operators after it is released from the defence services as well as the cancellation of 122 2G new licences by the Supreme Court in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
Govt is set to garner Rs 1 lakh crore from sale of radiowaves.
'With all outlets of public expression virtually choked for the last five years, suppressed anger and frustration is looking for an opening via the ballot box.' 'There is no escape from the inevitability of the 'Engineer Rashid' factor surfacing in a big enough way to upset everyone's applecart,' alerts Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the veteran commentator on Kashmir affairs.
Will help the government expand mobile and broadband penetration in the country
However, TDSAT has asked govt to dispose of two representations made by the company on the guidelines.
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TC at its meeting here recommended to an Empowered Group of Ministers that reserve price for pan-India 1800 MHz spectrum be fixed 15 per cent higher than Trai suggested rates.
The govt is expected to achieve the revenue target of Rs 40,000 crore from spectrum sale this fiscal, Telecom Secretary M F Farooqui said.
The Department of Telecommunications is scheduled to auction 3G spectrum starting January 14.
For 2100-MHz, 2300-MHz and 2500-MHz bands across circles; aim to offer these with 3G and 4G in February
Messages sent through Internet-based messaging service providers such as Whatsapp, Signal, and Telegram, as well as those which are encrypted, are understood to be within the Act's ambit.
The government has held back allocating additional spectrum to Bharti Airtel in Orissa, in view of the telecom tribunal's recent judgment that GSM operators have no vested right to get airwaves beyond 6.2 MHz.
In a written reply, Singh said the 5G C-band spectrum has the likelihood of interfering with the current radio altimeters installed on the aircraft.
If accepted, the plan could give the sector Rs 70,000-crore (Rs 700-billion) relief.
Even as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is being criticised for the steep reserve price it has set for 2G spectrum auctions in the 1,800 MHz band, the government may be able to garner only Rs 18,000-20,000 crore (Rs 180-200 billion) in 2012-13, just about half the target of Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion).
While it gives clarity on one regulatory issue, the financial burden increases for the sector.
Amidst the controversy on the issue of entry fee for the 3G spectrum, the country's largest telecom company BSNL on Tuesday said it was against any 'abnormal' charge for the third generation mobile spectrum.
'...for their bravery and the sacrifices they make, often putting their country above their personal lives.'
The commission has disagreed with another key proposal -- that of allowing operators a deferred payment scheme after the auction.
Even as the policy on spectrum for 3G services is yet to come, State-run BSNL has sought additional spectrum for introducing the advanced third generation mobile services in the country.
Three industry bodies suggested changes in India's tax regime in their pre-Budget discussions with Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra in New Delhi on Tuesday. The bodies - Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) - held separate meetings with Malhotra during the day and put across their suggestions for the upcoming Budget.
The Delhi high court will pronounce its verdict on Friday on whether to admit the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) appeal challenging the acquittal of former telecom minister A Raja, firms and others in the 2G spectrum allocation 'scam' case.
He said that the telecom ministry is in discussions with finance ministry and GSM operators to work out new charges for additional spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz. The minister also said his ministry is also talking to finance ministry on the issue of relaxing borrowing norms for aspiring 3G spectrum bidders.
A department of telecommunication official said the deferment has been made after taking into consideration the concern of the prospective applicant companies during the pre-bid conference on December 23. A prospective domestic 3G applicant, however, said the deferment might have been due to absence of foreign telecom operators in the pre-bid conference, thus forcing the government to give some more time to them.
The auction started off with the 36th round this morning. At the end of 35 rounds on Friday, bids worth around Rs 54,600 crore had been received by the government.
The government is learnt to be preparing fresh plans to auction telecom spectrum that can fetch around Rs 39,895 crore.
Adani group opened a $1.2 billion copper plant, bought a port in Odisha, raised stakes in a cement company and stitched an alliance with rival Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, all in a matter of one week in signs that the apples-to-airport conglomerate has shrugged off the Hindenburg effect and is back to rapid expansion spree. In the last one week, Adani group has through regulatory filings and press statements announced expansions and investments in its mainstay ports business, diversification into metal refining, fund infusion into a two-year-old cement foray and continuing progress in the commissioning of its mega solar project.
As the dust settles on the celebrations, let's delve into the inspiring lessons we can learn from India's historic T20 World Cup win.
The solution required operators to accept, in the interim, the industry regulator's recommendation suggesting a major increase in subscriber numbers for service providers to qualify for additional allocation of spectrum, the radio frequencies that enable wireless communications.
Communication Minister A Raja on Thursday asked the Telecom Commission, which is responsible for policy formulation, licensing and wireless spectrum management among other things, to review the annual spectrum charges that service providers pay as licence fee.
India's largest-ever spectrum auction kicked off on Saturday with major telecom operators placing bids worth Rs 53,531 crore across bands, even as the premium 700 Mhz and 900 Mhz frequencies did not find any buyer.
