Telecom

India calls for joint advocacy for standards in global telecom, ICT bodies

BRICS member countries can build institutional capacity together and jointly advocate for standards in international telecom and ICT bodies that are fair and genuinely represent everyone, Minister of State for Telecom Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said on Thursday. While speaking at BRICS ICT Track Thematic Panel Discussion on "Sustainable and Resilient Digital and ICT Ecosystems: Digital Public Infrastructure for Impact Global South Insights on Powering Public Services and Economic Growth", the minister said India is open to sharing of modular, open source frameworks for digital public infrastructure which member states should be able to adapt without rebuilding from the beginning, and without prohibitive licensing costs. Pemmasani called for partnership among BRICS member countries for building capabilities. "Let us train our workforce together, and build institutional capacity together. And let us advocate together for standards in international telecom and ICT bodies that are fair,

Telecom dept starts process to disband Digital Communication Commission

The Department of Telecom has begun the process of disbanding the Digital Communication Commission, formerly known as the Telecom Commission, the apex inter-ministerial body formed to make decisions on policy matters and subjects with significant financial implications. The body comprises the Telecom Secretary as its Chairman, four full-time members, who are ex-officio Secretaries to the Government of India in the Department of Telecommunications and four part-time members who are the secretaries to the Government of India in the concerned Departments. "The process for seeking cabinet nod to dissolve the Digital Communication Commission has started," an official source told PTI. Among the ex-officio secretaries, the post of member (technology) and member (services) are lying vacant and the government has no plans to fill them. Member (Finance) Manish Sinha will superannuate in February 2027, the source said. Formed in 1989, the Telecom Commission was renamed as Digital Communicati

India's 5G adoption to reach 62% by 2030, ahead of APAC average: GSMA

Mobile technologies and services are expected to contribute $1.4 trillion to the Asia-Pacific economy by 2030, while India's connectivity challenge shifts towards usage

BSNL expands indigenous 4G network in J&K, Ladakh; unveils I-Day offers

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has announced a series of customer-centric initiatives and special offerings, including expansion of its indigenous 4G network and additional validity for prepaid subscribers, on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has ordered over 602 additional 4G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in addition to 2,247 sites already planned for deployment -- 1,843 in J&K and 404 in Ladakh. Addressing a press conference here, Chief General Manager Telecom, J&K Circle, Kush Kumar said, "BSNL remained committed to providing reliable, secure and affordable telecom services, particularly in geographically challenging areas, while advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and digital India". "BSNL has ordered over 602 additional 4G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in addition to 2,247 sites planned earlier. Of these, 1,757 4G BTS in J&K and 343 in Ladakh have

NITI Aayog's remedy for manufacturing: Clusters and lower costs

The think tank has identified 12 sectors in which India can aspire to global leadership by 2047, with the first volume focusing on chemicals, textiles, telecom and solar PV

Vodafone Idea capex plan gets fillip from ₹6.4K crore bank funding

Hopeful of closing discussions with banks, confident of raising additional funds, says CEO Abhijit Kishore

Higher data users should pay more, says Bharti Airtel's Gopal Vittal

Bharti Airtel says India's telecom sector must overhaul data pricing, warning that sustainable ARPU growth depends on higher-paying heavy data users, not entry-level tariff hikes

Gwalior Telecom Manufacturing Zone secures ₹5,500 cr investment commitments

Investor meetings in Delhi and Mumbai attract Rs 5,500 crore in commitments for India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone, with the project expected to generate 18,000 jobs

DoT signs MoU with MP for India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone

Centre and Madhya Pradesh sign MoU for telecom manufacturing hub, targeting up to Rs 9,000 crore in investments and around 10,000 jobs

AI economy is creating a new kind of telecom customer. Are networks ready?

AI agents are increasing demand for upload capacity, low latency and programmable network services, forcing telecom operators to rethink infrastructure built primarily for human users

BSNL posts 10% growth in Q1 FY27 operational revenue to ₹4,418 crore

State-run telecom operator BSNL reported a 10 per cent rise in first-quarter revenue from operations, supported by strong enterprise business growth and improving average revenue per user

How great leaders shape culture | Expert’s take

In this session, Dinesh Gulati, COO of IndiaMART, shares his rich experience and provides career tips to the B-Schoolers.

Chip woes stretch planning cycles: Ericsson India MD Nitin Bansal

Rising component costs, chip shortages and supply-chain uncertainties are forcing Ericsson to extend planning horizons to up to five years from 18-36 months

Delhi High Court upholds Trai's cap for TV ads at 12 minutes per hour

The High Court ruled that TRAI acted within its statutory powers and that the advertising cap strikes a balance between broadcasters' commercial interests and viewers' rights

Nokia, Ericsson back Airtel's 5G slicing offer for postpaid users

Airtel's new Priority Postpaid plans powered by 5G slicing have received backing from Nokia and Ericsson amid debate over differentiated network services

CloudExtel eyes acquisitions worth ₹1,500-2,000 crore over five years

Macquarie-backed telecom infrastructure firm plans to acquire smaller cable operators and niche firms as it expands its network-as-a-service and data-centre connectivity business

Bharti Airtel upgrades postpaid customers to priority with 5G slicing

Move to create competition for high value postpaid customer base; net neutrality norms may come into question

Vodafone Idea closing ₹35K crore SBI-led funding 'very fast': CEO

Vodafone Idea expects to close talks with an SBI-led consortium soon after promoter equity infusion and AGR relief improved its financial position

Trai proposes penalties for telecom firms over complaint redressal lapses

Trai has proposed penalties on telecom operators for improper complaint handling, delayed reporting and non-compliance with revised grievance redressal rules

Govt plans mobile PLI 2.0 with $5 billion outlay to boost exports

The government is likely to roll out production-linked incentives to boost mobile phone exports from the country by May with an outlay of over USD 5 billion, about Rs 46,000 crore, sources aware of the development said. The Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) was launched in 2020 with the aim to boost domestic manufacturing of mobile phones in the country with an outlay of Rs 40,995 crore, or about USD 5.7 billion based on exchange rate at that time. LSEM was commonly known as production-linked incentive scheme (PLI) for mobile phones. "The PLI 2.0 for mobile phones is in the works with a focus on boosting exports. It should be in place by May. The outlay is expected to be over USD 5 billion," a source on condition of anonymity told PTI. Another source said the Ministry of Electronics and IT is in discussion with the finance minister for the PLI after which it will be placed before cabinet for final approval. "Target is to double export of mobile phones from In