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Telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Wednesday announced a partnership with Satcom firm AST SpaceMobile, a rival of Elon Musk-owned SpaceX, to deliver satellite services on smartphones directly. AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by smartphones, designed for commercial and government applications, Vodafone Idea said in a statement. "Vi (Vodafone Idea) and AST SpaceMobile Inc...announced a strategic partnership to expand mobile connectivity across India's unconnected regions. AST SpaceMobile made history by placing the first-ever voice and video call from space using a standard mobile phone, a milestone that demonstrates the real-world viability of its advanced technology," the statement said. The company did not disclose the date for the launch of the service. Vi's competitors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have joined hands with SpaceX to sell services of its satellite communications (satcom) arm Starlink in ...
GST additional commissioner's office in Chandigarh has imposed a Rs 13.16 crore penalty on Vodafone Idea, the company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. According to the filing, the order was passed on January 10 against the debt-ridden telecom firm for alleged "wrongful transition of CENVAT credit to Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime". "Order passed u/s 74 of Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, inter-alia, levying a penalty of Rs 13,16,53,661," Vodafone Idea (VIL) said in the filing. The company said the maximum financial impact is to the extent of the tax demand, interest and penalty levied. "The Company does not agree with the Order and will take appropriate legal action(s) for rectification/ reversal of the same," VIL said. The order was issued by the Office of the Additional Commissioner, Central Goods & Service Tax in Chandigarh.