Department Of Telecom

Industry executives say directions have been issued without prior public consultation or impact assessment

Vodafone Idea has petitioned the Supreme Court to quash fresh AGR dues raised by DoT, arguing the new demands exceed the court's ruling and threaten its financial survival

COAI warns direct allocation of spectrum for private 5G networks could harm security, cause revenue loss and create an uneven playing field with licensed operators

The Department of Telecom has issued a "show-cause-cum-demand notice" of about Rs 7,800 crore to Tata Communications over adjusted gross revenue dues, according to an official note by the company. The demand has been raised by the Department of Telecom (DoT) for adjusted gross revenue (AGR) from 2005-06 till 2023-24, as per the note dated July 17. "As at June 30, 2025, the company has received 'Show Cause-cum Demand Notices' ('demand notices') from Department of Telecommunications of India aggregating to Rs 7,827.55 crore for financial years ranging from FY 2005-06 to FY 2023-24, which have been revised over a period of time," Tata Communications Managing Director AS Lakshminarayan said. He said the demand notices include Rs 276.68 crore towards disallowance of deductions claimed by the company on payment basis for the financial year (FY) 2010-11 under ISP (internet service provider) licence and FY07 and FY10 under NLD (national long distance) licence. Tata Communications has exist

The department issued a letter of intent to Starlink on May 7, days before the pricing recommendations were announced, but trial spectrum for testing services has not yet been allocated

The Reserve Bank of India has advised all banks to integrate the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator tool developed by the Department of Telecom to curb online fraudulent transactions, an official statement said on Wednesday. Banks and financial institutions can use the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) in real time, which classifies mobile numbers based on their association with medium, high or very high risk of financial fraud. The data is collected from various sources, including reporting on the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C's) National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), DoT's Chakshu platform, and Intelligence shared by banks and financial institutions. "The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) welcomes the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) advisory issued on June 30, 2025, directing all scheduled commercial banks, small finance banks, payments banks, and co-operative banks to integrate the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) developed by DoT into their systems," th

Telecom firms plan to oppose DoT's draft rules delicensing lower 6 GHz band, saying it will hamper 5G rollout and cost-effective mid-band spectrum deployment

C-DOT and CSIR-NPL sign MoU to boost indigenous R&D in quantum and classical communication, aiming to enhance India's self-reliance in next-gen secure telecom technologies

Centre not keen on upping stake, wants telco to raise investments on its own

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked debt-ridden telecom operator Vodafone Idea to either deposit a bank guarantee of Rs 6,090.7 crore or Rs 5,493.2 crore in cash for shortfall of aggregate payment made for spectrum the company acquired in 2015, the company said. The company, however, is in discussion with the DoT to pay the dues through equity. "The aggregate payment made by the company for each of spectrum auctions are greater than the pro-rated use of spectrum other than for the 2015 auction, where there is one-time partial shortfall and DoT has requested either to provide bank guarantee of Rs 60,907 million (Rs 6,090.7 crore) for one year or make a cash payment of Rs 54,932 million (Rs 5,493.2 crore) by March 10, 2025," Vodafone Idea Non-Executive Director Himanshu Kapania said in a note. As on December 2024, the outstanding debt from banks (including interest accrued but not due) of the group is Rs 2,345.1 crore and deferred payment obligation towards spectrum payable over

Originally launched in May 2023, the Sanchar Saathi portal allows users to directly flag such incidents from their call logs

An expanded PLI will be a key ask for the DoT during the upcoming pre-Budget inter-ministerial consultations, set to begin soon, officials said

The telecom ministry will work on actionable plan with defined timelines on issues that have been discussed with telecom operators and other players in the sector, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. The minister held meetings with three of the six committees set by his ministry. The meeting with the committee on telecom operators was attended by telecom chiefs including Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani, Bharti Airtel Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Vodafone Idea MD and CEO Akshaya Moondra. "We've identified a rather deep agenda for these committees. Now the members of these committees and us will be working together," Scindia said. Industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Director General S P Kochhar was also part of the meeting. Scindia said there are varied schedule for the first presentation of these committees that will be over the next couple of weeks. "Then we will be taking on each individual issue, delving into the det

Debt-ridden Vodafone Idea has reached out to the Department of Telecom to seek waiver on a financial bank guarantee worth Rs 24,747 crore for spectrum payment due in September 2025, according to sources. Vodafone Idea (VIL) needs to securitize the annual instalment one year before the due date of the payment. "Vodafone Idea has reached out to DoT seeking waiver for financial bank guarantee (FBG) worth Rs 24,747 crore which it has to pay in September 2025. The FBG needs to be deposited one year before the due date as per spectrum auction rules," a source, who did not wish to be identified, told PTI. An email query sent to Vodafone Idea elicited no response. The payments are for frequencies that VIL purchased in auctions that were conducted before 2022. VIL in 2022 opted for a four-year moratorium to pay for the spectrum allowed under a government relief package. The moratorium period for the spectrum payment obligations related to spectrum auctions conducted until 2016 ends between

The Department of Telecom has invited research proposals on 'Quantum Standardisation and Testing Labs' from Indian academic institutions or research and development institutions, an official release said on Sunday. The goal is to drive research and development in quantum technologies, ensuring the interoperability, reliability, and security of quantum communication systems. These labs will serve as innovation hubs, uniting quantum technology developers, testing equipment manufacturers, and academic researchers to explore and harness the full potential of quantum technologies for the benefit of all citizens. "The initiative aligns with the Prime Minister's vision for 'Jai Anushandhan', aiming to support research and development in telecom products and technologies that directly enhance the lives of Indian citizens," the release said. It underlines efforts towards making India self-reliant in quantum technologies and setting global benchmarks in this cutting-edge field. "The effort

Telecom Technology Development Fund to see through Made in India tech solutions

The Department has also directed them to re-verify 31,740 mobile connections linked to these mobile handsets

Terms of reference for satellite spectrum allocation, processes for data interception in the works, say officials

DoT is also preparing terms of reference for allocation of satellite spectrum

The Department of Telecom has allocated a separate 10-digit numbering series starting with 160 for service and transactional calls made by government, regulators and financial entities, according to an office memorandum issued on Tuesday. The 10-digit number series has been designed by the DoT in a manner that telecom subscribers will get an idea about calling entities as well as the telecom operator and the place from where it has originated. "It has been decided to allocate a separate numbering series 160 exclusively for service and transactional voice calls as per Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR) 2018," the official note said.. The move is aimed at helping subscribers differentiate between calls made by government bodies and regulated entities from those made by fraudsters masquerading as government officials. The 10-digit number will be issued in 1600ABCXXX format for government and regulators where AB will show the code of telecom circle