Notwithstanding the controversy over the proposed unified licencing regime, Telecom Regulatory Authority is all set to make a presentation on Saturday before the Group of Ministers on telecom on its recommendations on the issue.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Wednesday said it would come out with the final consultation paper on full unification of telecom services in a "couple of weeks."
Migration to the unified licence regime could cost Reliance upto Rs 1,000 crore and Tatas Rs 500 crore, according to estimates being worked out by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
The Union Cabinet on Friday decided to unify the licenses of basic and cellular telecom services, paving the way for WLL operators like Reliance to offer full mobility services.
Concerned that they will not be able to comply with downlinking guidelines and cable laws, broadcasters and the cable industry have strongly opposed any move to govern Internet Protocol TV services through the Unified Access Service Licence agreement
Bharti Group chairman Sunil Mittal on Tuesday said the unified licensing regime proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India could not be pursued in its present form, as it was in contradiction of the TDSAT judgement.
Adani Data Networks said it plans to create a private 5G network for its operations. However, it acquired the spectrum in the last 5G auction alongside three telecom companies. Subsequently, it was granted a unified licence for access services, which enables it to provide telecom services in the country.
The Unified Licence for all 22 Service Areas across India will make the company the first telecom operator in the country to get pan India Unified Licence, the company said in a statement.
Reliance Industries, which holds pan-India 4G telecom spectrum for data services, has applied for a licence to offer mobile telephony.
According to the guidelines, a unified licence will have three levels -- national, service area and district.
The DoT has issued long-awaited migration guidelines which pave way for Internet service providers (ISP) like Reliance Jio Infocomm and Tikona, that have BWA spectrum, to offer mobile telephony service by paying an extra fee of Rs 1,658.57 crore (Rs 16.58 billion).
In less than 24 hours of issuance of guidelines on unified licence, Reliance Infocomm on Wednesday paid about Rs 1542.5 crore to government to migrate to new single licence regime in 16 circles, but opted to stay out of unification in West Bengal.
Cellular industry's hopes for a compensation in lieu of unified licence may be dashed with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India finding no merit in it since the cellular operators have already been given sops over Rs 30,000 crore.
The government on Friday unveiled long awaited Unified Licence norms that provide for delinking of spectrum from operational permits and allows companies to offer services using any technology.
The main thrust of the policy is on the multiplier effect and transformational impact of such services on the overall economy.
Reliance Infotel to be the biggest beneficiary.
Ahead of the coming auction of 2G telecom spectrum, the government has decided to allow all players to bid for all bands.
The new licences will do away with different kinds of permits that are issued to telecom companies for offering various services.
Singh, the Finance Minister in the National Democratic Alliance regime, was heading the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the issue of limited mobility and unified licencing during the relevant period.
The minister had last month said that the guidelines will be out by October 15.
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."
As per the initial version of the Unified Licence on August 2, DoT had exempted Internet services revenue from adjusted gross revenue -- part of telecom company's earnings on which annual licence fee is levied.
UK-based Vodafone Group has ruled out selling its around 5 per cent stake in the holding company of Bharti Airtel in the near future as there is no buyer.
Terming the new unified licence regime to be in the interest of the consumers, the Centre has informed the Supreme Court that tariff reduction in telecom services fuelled by competition was not to the liking of cellular operators.
Subscribers of wireless in local loop phones opting for full mobility should brace themselves for a change in numbering
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Friday hit out at cellular operators' reported move to sue it over unified licencing regime saying countries worldwide were moving towards the same.
Communication Minister Arun Shourie on Thursday said talks were on with the defence ministry for widening the bandwidth in the telecom sector
A high-powered group of ministers on Thursday decided to go for a unified licence regime for telecom services, a move seen to resolve the ongoing battle between basic and cellular operators on limited mobile services.
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