Kapil Sibal says there is a need to look at IT differently and not just as a cash cow.
The government may earn about Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion) from the new telecom spectrum policy, which seeks to delink licences from spectrum, if it decides to fix the price based on the figure discovered through last year's 3G auction.
Delinking spectrum from the licences in the aftermath of the 2G scam, Sibal said, "In future, the spectrum will not be bundled with licence. The licence to be issued to telecom operators will be in the nature of 'Unified Licence' and the licence holder will be free to offer any of the multifarious telecom services."
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday said that he meant no disrespect to any institution by his comments on the CAG report on 2G scam, but maintained that "canards" had to be responded to.
Rubbishing government's claim of any wrongdoing in the 2G spectrum allocation, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday asked why was A Raja forced to quit as telecom minister if the loss to the exchequer estimated at Rs.1.76 lakh crore was not true.
The government on Wednesday said the guidelines for the Gen Next mobile services (3G) that includes video calls will be issued soon addressing all security concerns raised by the home ministry.
An internal committee of Department of Telecom had alleged that Bharti Airtel had continued to route national and international calls as local calls under a scheme till 2005 despite being told to stop it in 2003.
Handset firms Karbonn and Lava International launched their smartphones, while Maxx Mobiles introduced its feature phone targetted at the rural market.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to stay the proceedings in the trial court in a defamation case filed by Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal's son Amit against former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party leaders Shazia Ilmi, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia.
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Indian telecom sector has at present around 13 mobile phone service providers with some of them expected to go for consolidation once the final guidelines are in place.
The minister had last month said that the guidelines will be out by October 15.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in the past has raised concerns on increasing FDI in telecom sector.
Jaitley said the verdict held that nobody was guilty in the case and investigation agencies would take an appropriate decision, taking facts and history into account.
Spectrum auction on Thursday entered the 10th day of bidding and started off from Rs 61,091.83 crore (Rs 610.91 billion) in terms of value.
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Rahul met the prime minister for about 30 minutes before the party group chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi with the prime minister by her side began deliberations at Dr Singh's residence.
The telecom to look at opportunities to acquire another firm in India.
DoT officials, under fear of allegation of their conniving with telecom operators for lowering penalty, directly impose the maximum penalty that can be levied on service providers.
A slow and ineffective response to allegations of scams under the erstwhile United Progressive Alliace government strengthened anti-Congress impressions in the minds of voters, which resulted in the party's poor show in the Lok Sabha polls, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said on Thursday.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended up 62 per cent reduction in base price of premium 2G spectrum and up to 37 per cent in case of radiowaves freed from the cancellation of 122 licences, compared to the amount fixed for previous auction.
According to a study, the change in frequency for transmitting mobile signals could cost the telcos over Rs 1 lakh crore (Rs 1 trillion) cumulatively.
About 3,000 internet connections, including those of the Ministry of Defence, security agencies, the Central Bureau of Intelligence and banks in Delhi, have been found to be compromised, probably for snooping from foreign locations, according to a report submitted by cyber security experts to government.
Gopal Subramanium would have been a plus to the apex bench, aver many, who point to his record and speak for his integrity
A court in New Delhi on Saturday imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 each on top Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia for their failure to appear before it in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed against them by Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal's lawyer son Amit Sibal.
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Canadian phone maker Datawind which has supplied about 1,00,000 low-cost Aakash tablets to the government till date says that it would be a challenge to supply the device at Rs 2,500 a unit due to rupee volatility and other factors.
Telecom regulator Trai on Monday announced reduction in the national mobile phone roaming charges, but said there will be no free national roaming as of now.
Telecom companies put in bids worth a total of about Rs 45,000 crore (Rs 450 billion) on the second day of the auction on Tuesday, with premium 900 Mhz band in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata witnessing continuing demand.
Rationalisation of reserve prices in the ongoing spectrum auction helped the government to get Rs 40,000 crore of bids on the opening day.
The court said a 'scam was created when there was none'.
After a two year run-in with controversies, telecom sector now looks stable and seems back on its feet with initial investment proposal of over Rs 11,000 crore (Rs 110 billion) received in 2013.
'Good politics is not just staying in power. You cannot sacrifice everything at the altar of trying to ensure the coalition remains in power.'
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