Telecom Industry

DoT extends AGR dues reassessment timeline for Vodafone Idea till June

The telecom department expects that AGR reassessment for Vodafone Idea -- which recently received government relief for its dues and liabilities -- will be completed by June, sources said. The reassessment was earlier targeted for completion by March 31. Sources said the review of Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) is on, following the internal licence fee reassessment by Controller of Communication Accounts. Accordingly, the timeline has been extended to June, sources said. The Union Cabinet has given relief to Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) based on the Supreme Court order and 'frozen' its Adjusted Gross Revenue or AGR dues at Rs 87,695 crore for a period ranging from FY 2006-07 to FY 2018-19. The 'frozen' dues are subject to reassessment. The amount excludes those AGR dues of FY 201718 and FY 201819 which stand finalised by the apex court's 2020 order and payable in accordance. Replying to a Lok Sabha question in early February this year, Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani

Bharti Airtel, Tata Teleservices pay ₹13,000 crore AGR dues to DoT

Airtel and Tata Teleservices pay over Rs 13,000 crore in AGR dues to DoT ahead of deadline, as four-year moratorium ends and telecom firms begin staggered repayments

Trai imposes graded penalties for failure to file tariffs in time

Trai tightens compliance norms with graded penalties and interest for delays in tariff reporting by telecom service providers

Telecom spectrum can't be treated as asset under IBC: Supreme Court

Court holds spectrum is a material resource of the community and cannot form part of insolvency asset pool; DoT free to reclaim airwaves from defaulters

Trai revamps DND, MySpeed apps after 10 years to improve service quality

Regulator to launch revamped MyCall app by March to improve quality of service and curb spam, as updated DND and MySpeed apps offer multilingual support and easier complaints

Cyber conference: Experts urge telcos to tighten rules to curb cyber fraud

Experts have recommended that telecom service providers take greater responsibility in strengthening customer verification processes and extending proactive support to investigative agencies to deal with cyber criminals, officials said on Wednesday. The recommendations were made at the national conference on 'Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds and Dismantling the Ecosystem' organised by the CBI and the home ministry's anti-cybercrime unit I4C. The CBI and I4C will send their report and recommendations to the ministry based on the deliberations of the two-day conference on cyber crime that concluded on Wednesday. The use of artificial intelligence in tackling cyber crimes by enhancing investigation capabilities was also discussed during the conference. During the conference, around 375 experts from different fields including law enforcement, banking and finance, cyber security, and telecom, among others presented their views on tackling cyber crimes. "Participants emphasized the need fo

Telcos seek higher int'l termination charges amid growing AI-led scams

Say it will ensure an ecosystem that prioritises consumer protection

Bharti Airtel yet to hear from DoT on parity of AGR dues with Vodafone Idea

Airtel has sought parity with Vodafone Idea on AGR dues reassessment and says it has written multiple times to the DoT, while outlining its plans on data centres, ARPU growth and 5G strategy

Brokerages expect Vodafone Idea's revival plan to hinge on bank loans

Indus Towers to be key beneficiary as telco is planning to increase tower footprint

DoT de-licenses lower 6 GHz band to boost next-generation Wi-Fi services

The de-licensing of the lower 6 GHz band will enable Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 services, supporting faster connectivity, next-generation devices, and data-intensive applications such as gaming, AR and VR

Next round of tariff hikes likely after Jio IPO; analysts expect 15% rise

Delay in hikes due to organic increase in market leader Jio's ARPU

Jio Platforms Q3FY26 results: Net profit rises 11.2% to ₹7,629 crore

Jio AirFiber becomes first FWA service globally to surpass 10 mn users

Telcos push I&B ministry for fresh D2M tech assessment: What they want

Indian telcos have urged the I&B Ministry to restart the technical evaluation of direct-to-mobile technology, calling for broader standards-setting and consultation involving all stakeholders

AGR case: Vodafone Idea may consider raising debt to accelerate growth

While Vodafone Idea has shifted focus toward other options including raising debt, a potential equity investment may still take place, the people said

Telecom industry wants another technology evaluation of D2M broadcasting

Telecom players have claimed that D2M broadcasting has direct implications for spectrum bands identified for existing and future 5G use

Telecom firms, Navi Mumbai airport operator lock horns over network access

The COAI said NMIAL is statutorily obligated to provide "right of way" permission in a non-discriminatory and time-bound manner for the installation of telecom infrastructure

Satcom, Vodafone Idea survival, frauds keep telecom sector abuzz in 2025

Entry of new communications service providers in the form of satcom created a spark in the sector with Elon Musk-led Starlink getting permission to start services but pending security clearance and delay in decision over spectrum pricing have pushed its potential roll out to the next year. Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told PTI that satcom services, which were earlier a figment of imagination, will be a reality soon. "We have given out three licences. You are looking at, hopefully, very soon, the pricing norm coming out for administratively assigned spectrum and that satellite technology being also offered in our bouquet of offerings to the public," Scindia said. Entry of Starlink is expected to add to the competition in the premium segment, which is dominated by telecom operators -- mainly Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The government has been making an effort to revive Vodafone Idea (VIL) and BSNL to check the market from getting into a duopoly and continue to keep

My goal is to ensure every dark spot in India is lit up by satcom: Scindia

Scindia was replying to a question on the government stand on spectrum charges that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) should pay for its global satellite phone service (GSPS)

ARPU gains, premiumisation to support Bharti Airtel's valuations

Lower capex, customer upgradation among the major drivers for the stock

SIM-binding diktat by DoT: Tech firms warn of disruptions for consumers

Move to prevent fraud, ensure security, say telcos