Page 3 - Telecom Industry

BIF writes to DoT, seeks de-linking of indoor and outdoor WiFi use cases

Earlier this year, in May, the DoT released the draft rules to delicense the 5925-6425 MHz portion of the 6 GHz spectrum band

Telecom major Vodafone Idea slapped with tax penalty of ₹6.47 crore

The company is accused of wrongly taking CENVAT credit, which is a type of tax credit businesses can claim for taxes paid on equipment or capital goods

DCC to seek clarification from Trai on satcom spectrum recommendations

The telecom department's highest decision-making body on Tuesday sought clarification from TRAI on certain aspects of satellite spectrum recommendations, sources said indicating that fee mooted for urban customers and the annual minimum spectrum charges suggested by the regulator could be some of the areas for the back-reference. The development assumes significance as prominent companies including billionaire Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, and Reliance Jio-SES, are keenly eyeing the high stakes game of broadband beamed from Indian skies. The Digital Communications Commission (DCC) held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on satcom spectrum. Sources said the multi-ministry apex decision-making body that looks at significant telecom matters, has decided to seek certain clarifications from TRAI over satcom spectrum recommendations. Areas where clarification are likely to be sought include the

DoT pushes deadline for mandatory testing of broadband gears until Dec 31

Industry body has alleged that the mandatory testing has been deferred again amid reluctance by foreign vendors to go for security testing but NCCS has denied the charges

DoT releases draft rules for provision of services under new framework

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has come out with draft rules for the provision of main telecom services under the authorisation regime, as outlined in the Telecom Act 2023. The authorisation regime is voluntary for those telcos who wish to opt for it, a DoT official said, adding that companies have the option to continue under the current licensing regime. Telecommunication service authorisations are classified into four categories: main telecommunication services, miscellaneous telecommunication services, captive telecommunication services, and broadcasting services. The scope of this set of draft rules relates to main telecommunication services, where authorisations encompass offerings like unified service, access service, internet service, and long-distance service. "The initial validity period of an authorisation for provision of telecommunication services shall be twenty (20) years from the effective date unless curtailed or revoked earlier for reasons specified in

EchoStar sells spectrum licences to SpaceX for $17 bn to resolve FCC probe

The news sent shares of the satellite communications provider surging nearly 22% in premarket trading

Reliance Jio crosses 500 mn users at 9 years, unveils anniversary offers

Reliance Jio has completed nine years with 500 million users, making it the world's largest mobile data network, and announced year-long offers including unlimited data weekends and special plans

DoT has no plan yet for any AGR relief to Vodafone Idea, says govt

The telecom department is not contemplating providing any relief to Vodafone Idea with regard to adjusted gross revenue, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said on Monday. "We have recently converted a lot of their debt into equity. The government has done whatever we thought we could do. At this time, we do not have any discussion or plan to change anything other than what we have done," Pemmasani said. The government has become the single largest shareholder in Vodafone Idea after acquiring shares worth Rs 36,950 crore in lieu of outstanding spectrum auction dues in March. Earlier, the government had acquired around 33 per cent stake in 2023 in lieu of statutory dues worth over Rs 16,000 crore. Vodafone, in its affidavit before the Supreme Court, had said that it will not be able to survive without government support. The company's AGR liability at the end of the June 2025 quarter stood at around Rs 75,000 crore. Vodafone Idea, along with other player

Starlink permit bars copying, decryption of Indian data abroad: MoS Telecom

The government has approved a permit to Starlink after the company agreed to comply with domestic laws, including security conditions, which bar it from copying and decrypting data overseas and mirroring Indian user traffic on any system set up abroad, Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said. The minister told PTI that security conditions mandate satellite communication providers to set up earth station gateways in India through which communications from satellite to users are routed. He said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) granted a Unified License (UL) to Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited after the US firm agreed to the stipulated terms and conditions of the UL, including security conditions which is applicable to all satcom players. "The security conditions, inter-alia, include the establishment of earth station gateway(s) in India for providing satellite-based communication services with no user traffic originating from

Vodafone Idea eyes non-banking sources to fund capex cycle in short term

'Confident of solution to AGR', says outgoing CEO Akshaya Moondra

Govt wants telcos to ditch foreign gear for homegrown equipment: Here's why

The Centre is reportedly urging private telcos to use more homegrown equipment, a move that could hit foreign suppliers and benefit local firms, with a mandate likely if voluntary targets fall short

Indian telecom companies oppose DoT plan on direct network allocation

COAI warns direct allocation of spectrum for private 5G networks could harm security, cause revenue loss and create an uneven playing field with licensed operators

Revenue milestone: Airtel is leading the way with record-high Arpu

As Arpu is a key yardstick of a telecom company's financial health, telcos must work on effective monetisation strategies

TCS, Now Corporation partner to boost Philippine digital infrastructure

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Monday said it has partnered with NOW Corporation's telecom arm to boost digital infrastructure and enable financial inclusivity in the Philippines. Now Telecom is a public sector telecommunications company in the Philippines offering services across mobile networks and fixed wireless. "Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, has partnered with NOW Corporation's telecom arm Now Telecom, a public sector telecommunications company, to bolster national digital sovereignty, enable financial inclusivity, and build a clean network for the Philippines," according to a release. With this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in place, the release said, TCS will support the company with capabilities to expand trusted networks, provide sovereign cloud technology and a cyber-defence suite, alongside creating citizen-centric services in areas such as healthcare and digital banking, promoting financial .

Airtel in talks with govt on AGR dues-to-equity conversion: Gopal Vittal

Bharti Airtel MD Gopal Vittal says telco in talks with govt on converting Rs 40,000 crore AGR dues into equity, seeks parity with peers, and will abide by final decision

Draft telecom policy needs to be substantive, not just a mission statement

The draft talks about doubling annual investment in the telecom sector to ₹1 trillion, creating 1 million jobs in this industry, along with reskilling another 1 million, achieving 90% 5G population

Mobile subscribers grow modestly in June to 1.16 bn, rural subscribers dip

India's mobile subscriber base increased 0.17% in June, led by urban growth; rural users declined slightly while Jio and Airtel gained market share

Jyotiraditya Scindia pushes BSNL to lift Arpu by 50% over next year

Union minister emphasises ARPU and enterprise growth at BSNL review, says capex and strategic focus will yield positive operating cash flow in coming quarters

In a first, Bharti Airtel ties up with Perplexity to offer AI to users

'Pro' version of LLM to be available free of cost

DoT may stick to Trai's satellite spectrum pricing recommendations

The department issued a letter of intent to Starlink on May 7, days before the pricing recommendations were announced, but trial spectrum for testing services has not yet been allocated