Department Of Telecommunications

The Telecom Department has issued a notice to Vodafone Idea for payment of Rs 26.83 crore in liquidated damages, citing alleged default in minimum rollout obligations in respect of spectrum allocated under auctions of 2022, the telco said on Saturday. The company said it is reviewing the notice received on Friday (July 31) and evaluating next steps. On the details of the notice, issued by the Department of Telecom, Vodafone Idea (VIL) in a BSE filing said that this is for payment of "liquidated damages amounting to Rs 26.83 crore for alleged default in compliance of minimum rollout obligations in respect of spectrum allocated under Spectrum Auction conducted in 2022". The violation pertains to network rollout obligations as specified under the Notice Inviting Applications 2022 (the bid document), which needs to be complied with once the spectrum is assigned. Vodafone Idea, however, said there is no financial or other impact on operations. "The company is reviewing the notice and .

India signed an MoU with Madhya Pradesh to establish the country's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone in Gwalior with ₹493 crore central support

Under a new authorisation framework notified by the Department of Telecommunications, all telecommunication data, logs and information associated with telecom networks must be stored within country

The Centre's draft Telecom Rules consolidate TV and radio guidelines and allow existing licensees to voluntarily migrate to the new authorisation framework

DoT notifies a unified telecom authorisation framework, replacing multiple licences and mandating AI-driven fraud prevention measures

The telecom operator told the government its priority postpaid plans are compliant with TRAI and DoT norms and do not degrade service quality for prepaid users

This historical context is worth recalling amid the overwhelming response to the government's latest mobile siren experiment as a disaster management measure

AGR reassessment comes as part of DoT's January relief package, with dues frozen at ₹87,695 crore and payments deferred till FY36

Dues frozen as of December 31, 2025 will be reassessed under DoT's deduction verification process, with repayments proposed from FY32; Vi says it has received no communication

Total BTS number may rise to 123,000, approval sought from govt

LocalCircles' nationwide survey finds half of consumers expect disruptions from DoT's SIM-binding mandate, while 7 in 10 international travellers fear problems using messaging apps abroad

An app nobody noticed, until everyone did. Political heat and curiosity pushed it to the top in downloads. How long before the slide?

The government's cyber security and safety app Sanchar Saathi recorded a 10-fold jump in downloads on Tuesday, rising from a daily average of around 60,000 to nearly 6 lakh, DoT sources said on Wednesday. The number of downloads jumped even as Opposition leaders and a section of industry experts criticised the Department of Telecom order to mandatorily pre-install the app on all mobile phones alleging that it is meant for "snooping" and violating privacy of citizens. "There has been very good response to the Sanchar Saathi App from the public suddenly. The download on a single day jumped 10 times to around 6 lakh from an average of 60,000 a day," a DoT source, who did not wished to be named, told PTI. According to official data, 1.5 crore people have already downloaded the app even before the order was issued. The order dated November 28, mandates all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app in all handsets to be sold in India as well as in existing devices thro

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that Sanchar Saathi is optional, following uproar over the government mandate asking phone makers to pre-install the app to help curb cyber fraud

A directive from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will soon change how messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal work.

The government mandated all manufacturers to ensure that the government's Sanchar Saathi mobile application is pre-installed on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in India

The Congress on Monday rejected the directions of the Department of Telecommunications on pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app in new mobile handsets as unconstitutional, and demanded its immediate rollback. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said that the right to privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty. Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT direction is beyond unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to watch over every movement, interaction and decision of each citizen, Venugopal said in a post on X. The move, he alleged, is part of the long series of "relentless assaults" on the Constitutional rights of Indian citizens, which will not be allowed to continue. We reject this direction and demand its immediate ...

Telecom operators want SMS-based OTP to become the primary authentication layer for financial transactions as DoT moves to tighten security

Industry and policy experts warn the new rules could upend user experience while doing little to curb cyber fraud

Short-range vehicle radar systems, widely used in automotive ADAS, that operate in the 77-81 GHz frequency range, have been exempted from the spectrum assignment rule by the telecom department, according to a gazette notification on Wednesday. The move is expected to ease the process for the development of autonomous vehicles in the country. However, for the exemption, radars will follow certain technical standards, including non-interference, non-protection and the frequencies will be shared, which means it will be non-exclusive for users. "No frequency assignment shall be required by any person to establish, maintain, work, possess or deal in any wireless equipment for the purpose of short-range automotive radar system in the 77 to 81 GHz frequency band on non-interference, non-protection and shared (non-exclusive) basis, and using the technical parameters...," the notification said. Many automotive players are offering ADAS ( advanced driver-assistance systems) as a premium feat