Page 5 - Department Of Telecommunications

In the works: Telecom Patent Fund to access costly tech, drive innovation

DoT plans fund to acquire critical licences from global firms for startups and SMEs, boost indigenous R&D

Vodafone Idea earmarks Rs 5,720 crore to roll out 5G wireless network

Plans to use Rs 18K cr FPO's proceeds to upgrade infra, clear deferred payments; govt holding will dilute to 24% from 32% currently

DoT postpones spectrum auction by 17 days to June 6 due to elections

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has deferred the spectrum auction by 17 days to June 6 as per the amendments made in the notice inviting application for the bids on Wednesday. The department has also reduced bank guarantee and guarantee for earnest money deposit, in a move to ease liquidity for the bidders. According to the amendment, the new date for "start of the live auction" has been changed to June 6 -- after the announcement of the Lok Sabha results -- from May 20. The mock auctions will now be held on June 3 instead of May 13 and 14. The government will auction eight spectrum bands for mobile phone services at a base price of about Rs 96,317 crore. The DoT has also reduced the number of blocks for auction in the 900 Mhz band in the West Bengal circle to 44 from 48 blocks that were proposed earlier. The validity of bank guarantee for earnest money deposit (EMD) in the form of bank guarantee will be valid for less period till September 30, 2024 instead of December 31, 2024,

DoT asks telcos to suspend USSD-based call forwarding, switch to other mode

The Department of Telecom has asked telecom operators to deactivate USSD-based call forwarding with effect from April 15 and move to alternative methods to re-activate it, an official order said. Mobile subscribers use USSD service just by dialling any active code on their phone screens. The service is often used for checking IMEI numbers and mobile phone balances, among others. The order has been issued to check frauds and online crimes that are operated through mobile phones. In an order dated March 28, the DoT said that it has come to its notice that USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based call forwarding facility, most commonly known *401# services for unconditional call forwarding services, is being misused for some unwarranted activities. "In this regard, it has been decided by the competent authority that all licensees shall discontinue the existing USSD-based call forwarding services with effect from April 15, 2024, till further notice. "All existing subscribe

DoT warns against picking up WhatsApp calls with foreign numbers +92

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) stated that callers have falsely impersonated the DoT to scam people

Cases of equipment thefts at all-time high; COAI seeks DoT's intervention

Industry body COAI on Friday sought the government's intervention on the issue of rising cases of telecom equipment theft and said telcos are incurring huge losses and expenses in replenishing equipment at affected sites, and even customers are suffering. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which counts operators like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea as its members, wrote to telecom secretary Neeraj Mittal, flagging the issue. The association has urged the Department of Telecom (DoT) to write to all State Chief Secretaries to prioritise such complaints and ensure strict action on the same. COAI also urged the DoT to issue orders for the immediate blocking of several foreign websites (including eBay, Alibaba, Telefly, Seeker816, Dorfatrade) that are "selling active equipment" suspected to have been stolen from networks of member telcos. "It is...critical that these websites are blocked immediately," COAI said. COAI requested the DoT to urgently interven

More than 2,500 fraud connections being cut daily, say DoT officials

DoT working on grievance redress portal

What are Chakshu and Digital Intelligence Platform introduced by the Government of India

The Department of Telecommunications has introduced two crucial digital platforms: 'Chakshu' and the 'Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP),' as part of the Sanchar Saathi portal launched in May 2023. >

Combating online frauds: All you need to know about 'Chakshu' and 'DIP'

Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced two new initiatives, Digital Intelligence Platform and Chakshu, as measures to tackle cybercrimes

DoT will not intervene in 2G network shutdown; parks decision with telcos

Around 50 million 2G handsets are sold annually, with over 500,000 2G base tower stations deployed throughout the country

Centre to form panel to check rising internet, WhatsApp-based spam calls

The proposal to set up the panel was made in an inter-ministerial meeting on the issue chaired by Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh on Thursday, the Consumers Affairs Department said

New Trai chief A K Lahoti has work cut out as issues pile up with regulator

A former Railways board CEO, he is an unconventional choice to lead the regulator

Delhi HC asks WhatsApp, Telegram to suspend fake VC firms' accounts

The court also directed the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and Department of Telecommunications to issue appropriate directions to curb these identified scams

India set to export indigenously-developed 4G, 5G stacks in 2024: Officials

Indian technology has garnered global interest amid govt's aggressive marketing

Telecom department blocks more than 1,500 numbers linked to cyber threats

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) blocked international and local phone numbers associated with cybercrimes and threats, aiming to curb misuse of telecom resources

Telecom dept extends M2M, WPAN and WLAN registration to all entities

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has extended Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Wireless Personal Area Network as also Wireless Local Area Network (WPAN/WLAN) registration to all entities engaged in such businesses. DoT has said that non-compliance may lead to withdrawal or disconnection of telecom resources obtained from the authorised telecom licensees. Accordingly, it said, all business entities (companies, government departments, organisations, partnership firms, LLPs, institutions, undertakings, proprietorship firms, societies and trusts) engaged in M2M service provisioning and WPAN/WLAN connectivity provisioning are advised to register with DoT "through a simple and transparent online process" via SaralSanchar portal. Announcing that Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Wireless Personal Area Network/Wireless Local Area Network (WPAN/WLAN) registration has been extended to all entities engaged in the said businesses, DoT in a release said entities include businesses, government .

USOF may be enlarged and used to boost telecom equipment manufacturing

Live since October 2022, the TTDF aims to fund R&D in rural-specific communications technology applications and develop the telecom ecosystem

5G near airports? DGCA to ask all airlines to upgrade radio altimeters

This precaution is due to the potential interference of 5G emissions with radio altimeters (RAs) on airplanes

Parliament winter session: Rajya Sabha passes Telecommunications Bill 2023

Parliament on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to allow the government to temporarily take control of telecom services in the interest of national security, and provide a non-auction route for the allocation of satellite spectrum. The Telecommunications Bill, 2023, was approved by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after a short debate. The Bill seeks to allow the government to temporarily take control of telecom services in the interest of national security, and provide a non-auction route for the allocation of satellite spectrum. It also allows the Centre to take possession of a telecom network in case of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety. Besides, it provides for stopping transmission and intercepting messages in case of public emergency, in the interest of the public, to prevent incitement for committing offence. According to the bill, the press messages of correspondents accredited to the Centre or state .

Law for a new era

Telecommunications Bill addresses several gaps