Ring in respite

Govt must address regulatory turmoil in telecom

The telecom sector is faced with its severest challenge. Revenues of networks are set to take a hit, thanks to free voice calls and the dirt cheap data offered by Reliance Jio. At the same time, networks need to make large investments in passive as well as active infrastructure. All this as the industry is groaning under a debt burden of Rs 4 lakh crore. Banks are increasingly getting nervous over their exposure to telecom companies. Some foreign players have started to look for an exit from the sector in view of the deteriorating prospects. Consolidation has started happening as