Page 2 - Telecom Regulator

Telcos dial into caller ID service trials to combat rising spam calls

Telecom operators are assessing the feasibility of CNAP, where both number and caller name will be displayed during incoming calls

Vi approves offer price of Rs 11 per equity share for Rs 18,000 cr FPO

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea's (VIL) board has fixed the FPO offer price at Rs 11 per equity share, according to a regulatory filing. The anchor investor offer price of Rs 11 per equity share has also been greenlit by the board. "... Following resolutions were also passed... determined and approved the offer price of Rs 11 per equity share... approved the anchor investor offer price of Rs 11 per equity share," VIL informed. Debt-laden telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd has raised Rs 18,000 crore pulling off India's largest-ever follow-on public offering (FPO) as the issue got subscribed nearly seven times after institutional investors poured in money, stock exchange data showed on Monday evening. The fundraise will arm VIL with an ammo to improve its competitive positioning in the Indian telecom market, where it trails Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, by a wide margin. "Further to our letter dated 17 April 2024, intimating you about the meeting of the board of directors of the ..

Telecom tariff hike imminent, expect 15-17% rise after elections: Report

The telecom industry is expected to take a 15-17 per cent tariff hike post general elections, according to an analyst report that termed the tariff increase in the sector as "imminent" with Airtel as the biggest beneficiary. The general election in the world's largest democracy is scheduled to be held in seven phases between April 19 and June 1, and results will be declared on June 4. "We expect the industry to take a 15-17 per cent tariff hike post the elections," a report by Antique Stock Broking said, as it described the tariff hike as imminent and Bharti as the biggest beneficiary. The last hike of about 20 per cent was in December 2021, it said. Offering a break-up of ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) for India's second largest telco, the brokerage note said Bharti's industry-leading current ARPU of Rs 208 is set to go up to Rs 286 by end of FY27. This will be driven by a tariff hike contributing Rs 55, upgradation of 2G customers to 4G contributing Rs 10, and customer upgradat

Trai wants district, state level data to boost quality of telecom services

QoS has remained a priority for the regulator, with Trai Chairperson Anil Kumar Lahoti naming call drops as a key area of his focus after taking charge in January

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

UK antitrust regulator begins investigation of Vodafone-Hutchison merger

The tie-up announced last year will reduce the number of mobile networks in Britain from four to three

Waiver provision removed in Telecom Bill, could hurt Vi recovery: Experts

The original draft of the Bill contained a framework to waive the license fees for financially troubled companies. Had these provisions made it to the final bill, things would have been easier for VI

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 .

Telecom bill attempts spectrum, licensing, dispute resolution reforms

In a key move, it has also allowed telcos to surrender spectrum if they are unutilized. However, the government will not return the amount already paid by the company, people in the know said.

Trai directs Jio, Airtel to clarify terms on unlimited 5G data offerings

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have both clarified that unlimited does not equate to infinity as data usage is restricted by speed and network

Reliance Jio takes contrarian call on 5G services, not to raise tariff

Not to raise tariff; focus not only on mobility but also on connecting India's over 330 million households with broadband based on 5G last-mile connectivity

Trai directs annual audit for telcos, asks to refund overcharged tariff

The audit has to be conducted by a panel of auditors notified by Trai. Non-compliance or failure to submit the report can result in monetary penalties that can go up to Rs 50 lakh

Trai and C-DoT sign MoU for cooperation in telecommunications sector

The MoU has brought the two parties, Trai CSR and C-DoT together to reach the common goal of establishing a mechanism of technical and institutional cooperation in the field of telecommunications

TRAI releases draft telecom consumers education amendments for comments

Telecom regulator TRAI on Monday circulated the draft telecom consumers education and protection fund amendment regulation, for stakeholder comments. The amendments have been proposed in specific portions of the rules after a need was felt since certain activities like preparation and audit of accounts, require expenses to be incurred from Telecom Consumer Education and Protection Fund (TCEPF) and provisions are required, accordingly. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had notified TCEPF regulations on June 15, 2007. According to the regulations, a fund called 'Telecom Consumers Education and Protection Fund' was created. The income generated by the fund is used for undertaking activities including consumer outreach programmes, workshops, developing educational and awareness material for dissemination of information to consumers. "The authority has observed that for preparation, maintenance and audit of accounts and for the participation of representatives of consumer

Independent body, risk-based framework: TRAI suggests regulations for AI

India should play a leading role in shaping global AI standards and governance structures, said Trai

Telecom Secy K Rajaraman named IFSCA Chairman, may take charge immediately

A 1989 batch IAS officer, Rajaraman has been appointed for three years; succeeds first ever IFSCA Chairperson Injeti Srinivas who led the authority since July 9, 2020

Telcos to share data with each other to curb the menace of pesky messages

According to the latest directives issued by Trai, telecom companies have until July 31 to develop and deploy a mechanism to acquire consent from customers

No closing dates for PLI scheme, govt makes it easier to avail benefits

Apart from the semiconductor production-linked incentive scheme, the govt is also planning incentive schemes for computers and devices, telecom, automotive, and IT hardware

Scammers target WhatsApp users with phishing calls from foreign shores

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has cracked down severely on intrusive calls and messages over the past few months

Trai recommends IB ministry to grant infra status to telcos, broadcasters

To ensure compliance, Trai suggested that the ministry may consider mandating a standard undertaking which would be required to be submitted by each service provider on an annual basis