Telecom service providers have invested and will continue to invest significantly in the telecom infrastructure
Analysts at Emkay Research believe that telecom remains one of the safest spots in the current scenario
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) also allayed fear of hike in tariff by the telecom operators.
In a bid to do this at the available capacity, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have said they are doing everything to keep the situation under control
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Industry body COAI on Friday said the government is well aware of implications of leaving the stressed telecom sector without a relief package, as it urged policymakers to use "tools" available to find appropriate solutions expeditiously. "The industry is in urgent need of relief measures, and we urge the government to come up with appropriate solutions expeditiously and resolve the matter," Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) Director General Rajan Mathews said. On Wednesday, the apex court rejected the telcos' self-assessed adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues and ordered them to pay the principal together with interest and penalties. It stated that non-payment of dues would tantamount to contempt of court. "The government can exercise the tools that are available and move forward on that basis," Mathews said. Telecom companies such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Tata are in a bind as their combined self-assessment of dues to the government are a whopping Rs 82,300
The mechanism hasn't just been the subject of heated discussion in telecom but has also pervaded other sectors such farming, water supply, renewable power and even in natural gas
Telecom firm advised to pay up at least the principal amount before SC hearing
The company had posted a loss of Rs 1.35 crore for the quarter ended December 2019, compared to a profit of Rs 57 lakh in the same period a year ago
COAI's letter comes at a time when Vodafone Idea has reportedly made it clear to the govt that it won't be able to pay court mandated AGR dues in their entirety, unless a bailout is extended
If your landline connection is going dead, or you are unable to browse the internet at a high speed, despite paying for 4G, you are not the only one!
If the sector turns into a duopoly (ignoring the struggling BSNL-MTNL combine for the moment), Airtel and Jio will find it hard to absorb the 300-million-plus VIL customers who will have to be ported.
The order is part of govt's Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) order 2017 which envisages to source domestically manufactured products to encourage 'Make in India'.
The Centre said telcos had already paid about Rs 16,000 crore in AGR dues and some had assured further payments in a week's time
Earlier this week, the telecom company had paid Rs 2,500 crore and said it would pay Rs 1,000 crore more by the end of the week
Mathews, an industry veteran, has worked in the Indian and US telecom sector in operations, business development and human resources over his 41-year-long career
Shares of Vodafone Idea jumped 48 per cent to Rs 4.49 on the BSE on Wednesday on the back of heavy volumes on report that the government is unlikely to invoke bank guarantees for now
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said as part of a revival plan for BSNL and MTNL, there will be optimal utilisation of land and other assets of these companies.
Mathews said that telecom not being included in the definition of infrastructure was a disappointment for the industry
The larger economy suffers more than the central govt, as New Delhi is allowed to get away with behaving arbitrarily and then hiding the reality behind bogus numbers, writes T N Ninan