Page 11 - Telecom Sector

Fresh spectrum allocation plan in the works, may open up more bands

May provide clear direction on satellite spectrum

Trai recommends entry fee cut for mobile, other telecom service licences

Telecom regulator TRAI on Tuesday recommended a cut in the entry fee for mobile and other telecom service licences, and favoured merging of bank guarantees, in a bid to facilitate entry of new players and promote ease of business for existing ones. In a sweeping set of recommendations, the sector regulator has mooted that the entry fee for Unified Licence (UL) in case of access service be halved, which along with suggestions of merging bank guarantees and other measures will "facilitate the orderly growth of the sector". The measures will spur investment and growth, and in effect improve the quality of service and enhance consumer welfare, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). "Entry fee for following UL authorisations should be rationalised...Access service from Rs 1 crore to Rs 50 lakh for each telecom circle/ metro area; from 0.5 crore to 25 lakh for J&K and North east each," TRAI release said. For National and International Long Distance, TRAI has ...

TRAI reduces audit compliance for LSAs, to cover max tariff offerings

Telecom regulator Trai has reduced audit compliance of licensed service areas to once in year from four times earlier but it will cover maximum tariff offerings, including related to international roaming, according to the new regulations on quality of service. The new regulations on Quality of Service (Code of Practice for Metering and Billing Accuracy) Regulations, 2023, dated September 11, 2023, will result in reduction of audit burden by almost 75 per cent and enhance Ease of Doing Business (EODB), Trai said in a release on Wednesday. "Each LSA shall be audited only once in a financial year unlike four times as per old regulations, thereby reducing the audit burden by almost 75 per cent," Trai said. However, while simplifying the audit process, it is also ensured to cover maximum tariff offerings under audit unlike in previous regulation which has the provision for audit of 15 most popular tariff offerings only leaving aside a good number of tariff offerings with less number of

SC junks PIL seeking to scrap Centre's relief to stressed telecom sector

The Supreme Court has dismissed a PIL seeking cancellation of Centre's decision of September 15, 2021 to grant relief to the stressed telecom sector from paying statutory dues, saying these are all matters of policy and decision-making is on the basis of experts' opinion. In a breather to telecom service providers struggling to pay Rs 93,520 crore of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) related dues, the top court on September 1, 2020 gave them a 10-year period to clear their outstanding amount to the government. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said that no doubt, the apex court by its judgment had issued certain directions with regard to the telecom sector but in the backdrop of the COVID-19 challenges, with huge surge in data consumption, online education, work from home, etc., reform measures were found necessary to boost the proliferation and penetration of broadband and telecom connectivity. "In our view, these are all matters of policy and decision-making which is

Telecom Bill likely to stipulate authorisation regime for OTT apps

The proposed licensing regime had unsettled several tech firms which had warned that multiple regulations will stall the growth of the OTT communications industry

With 'Choice' initiative Vi allows postpaid users to modify plans

'Choice' initiative allows users to opt for lifestyle benefits across entertainment, food, travel and mobile security

Trai issues discussion paper to review norms of PMRTS, CMRTS licenses

Telecom regulator TRAI on Tuesday initiated consultation for review of terms and conditions of public and captive mobile radio trunking services (PMRTS and CMRTS). In the consultation paper, TRAI has sought stakeholder views on various issues, among them, the manner in which the conditions can be amended including scope of the PMRTS license, roll out obligation, technical conditions, network interconnection and security conditions. In all, the discussion paper dwells on more than 30 questions ranging from whether there is a need to review the provisions relating to service area for PMRTS authorisation under Unified License, to whether providers should be permitted internet connectivity with static IP addresses. Earlier, Telecom Department (DoT), through its reference in 2022, approached TRAI to provide recommendations on the terms and conditions for issue of fresh licenses for CMRTS and PMRTS Services especially with respect to technical conditions.. These include aspects like ...

ARPU of Indian telcos to rise 8-10% to Rs 190 this year, says CRISIL

CRISIL added that the operating profits of these companies could record a 15 to 17 per cent rise to Rs 1.2 trillion this year from Rs 1.04 trillion in 2021-22

Vodafone Idea plans to clear about Rs 2,400 crore dues by September

Debt-ridden telecom operator Vodafone Idea plans to clear about Rs 2,400 crore of dues to the government by September, sources privy to the development said. The company recently cleared pending dues of licence fees and spectrum usage charges of about Rs 450 crore for the March quarter of 2022-23, a source told PTI. "Vodafone Idea will clear dues for the June 2023 quarter and spectrum instalment with applicable interest by September, " the source said. Vodafone Idea had to pay a licence fee of around Rs 770 crore by July and Rs 1,680 crore as the first instalment for the spectrum it purchased in auctions that were held last year. While the company has sought 30 days to clear the spectrum payment, the company is also gearing up to clear the licence fee payment by September. "Due on late payment of spectrum instalment will attract 15 per cent interest rate on annual basis. The company will have to pay around Rs 1,700 crore for spectrum instalment and around Rs 710 crore for licence

Hiring activities rise in Apr-Aug period in sectors like retail, telecom

Hiring activities increased 23 per cent in the April-August period compared to the year-ago period in various sectors, including retail and telecom, a report said on Tuesday. In its staffing report, business services provider Quess Corp said that as many as 32,000 jobs were posted in the April-August period, considering that various sectors, including BFSI, retail and telecom, improved their hiring efforts in line with the surge in demand for the festive season in the country. Job roles such as production trainee, branch relationship executive, collection officer, business development executive, broadband sales executive, sales executive, warehouse associate, and customer relationship officer have seen an increase in demand this season. "As India Inc. prepares for the festive season, it is encouraging to see a positive trajectory (23 per cent) of demand for hiring today. Despite inflation and profitability pressures, segments such as manufacturing, BFSI and retail have reflected ..

Telecom sector AGR rises 2.5% sequentially to Rs 64,494 cr in Q4 FY23

The sector's Average Revenue per User (ARPU) for the mobile business rose to 142.3

Jio rolls out 5G service in 26 Ghz band, claims top speed of 2 gbps

Reliance Jio Infocomm on Monday said it has rolled out 5G services in 26 gigahertz millimetres across India and has claimed a record top speed of up to 2 gigabits per second. The millimetre wave is a short-length radio wave that almost works like a dedicated spectrum pipe for each user and has the potential to deliver wired broadband-level speed. "Jio customers now using 26 GHz mmWave-based business-connectivity across all 22 telecom circles," Reliance Jio said in a statement. The telecom major said it has completed its minimum roll-out obligations in each of the 22 telecom circles, across each of the spectrum bands, ahead of time under the terms of the spectrum allocated to it on August 17, 2022. "On July 19, 2023, RJIL had completed submission of the prescribed details towards completion of the Phase 1 minimum roll-out obligation with the Department of Telecommunications Units and by August 11 2023, necessary DoT testing was completed in all circles," the statement said. Jio sai

Delicensing 6 Ghz band to hamper 5G, 6G roll out in India, incur loss: COAI

Telecom industry body COAI has cautioned the telecom department that delicensing spectrum in the 6 Ghz band will hamper roll out of 5G advance and 6G services in the country. In a letter dated August 10 to Department of Telecom Secratory Apurva Chandra, the Cellular Operators Association of India -- whose members include Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea etc -- has requested the Department of Telecom to include the 6 gigahertz spectrum in the auction and support its allocation for mobile telecommunication at the global level. COAI said that the 6 GHz band is the only additional contiguous spectrum available in mid-band for IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications), beyond what has already been put up in auction. "Hence, it is important for future growth of 5G and beyond technologies, including the roadmap for 6G introduction in India. This spectrum will be crucial as India firms up an action plan for Bharat 6G. Delicensing this important chunk of spectrum will seriously

Avantel soars 17%, hits new high as stock trades ex-stock split

Avantel said that the rationale behind the split is to enhance liquidity in the capital market, widen shareholder base, and make shares more affordable to small investors.

Ericsson, TSSC set up 'Center of Excellence' to train in 5G, emerging tech

Ericsson and Telecom Sector Skill Council on Wednesday launched a Center of Excellence to train students in 5G and emerging technologies. Around 300 students will receive training in the first year of the programme as part of the CoE (Center of Excellence) set up at the Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) in Okhla Phase II. The industry-approved training modules include 5G network engineering, handheld devices and Internet of Things (IoT) devices and systems and line assembly of telecom products. Students will be provided theory lessons and hands on practical training in the Skill Labs of the CoE. Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) CEO Arvind Bali said "With the invaluable support of Ericsson, we have been able to establish a first-of-its kind Centre of Excellence for telecom in Delhi towards fulfilling this objective. The CoE is designed to maximize the learning potential of the local youth with a keen focus on inclusivity and technical skill development. We are ...

Q1 Preview: Airtel ARPU may near Rs 200-mark; Voda to see muted subs churn

Bharti Airtel Q1 preview: On average, analysts expect Bharti Airtel's consolidated net profit to rise around 60 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 2,676 crore in Q1FY24

Tech Mahindra Q1FY24 net profit down by 38.8% YoY at Rs 692.5 crore

Misses estimates on revenue and net profit

Telecom PLI: Companies clock Rs 6,911 crore exports till May 2023

Companies under the Production Linked Incentive scheme for local manufacturing of telecom and networking products have done exports worth Rs 6,911 crore till May 2023, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Production Linked Incentive scheme was launched on February 24, 2021, to promote domestic manufacturing of specified telecom and networking products, including 4G, 5G products and also design-led manufacturing in the country. "The companies under the scheme have made an export of Rs 6,911 crore up till 31.05.2023," Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. He said the number of 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) by various telecom service providers totalled 2.81 lakh as of July 7, 2023. Chauhan also shared the operator-wise data for the same, which showed Airtel had 53,223 5G BTSs, Reliance Jio (2.28 lakh) and Vodafone Idea (36).

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

About 126,000 telecom skilled youth to be employed this fiscal: TSSC CEO

Around 1.26 lakh youth trained in telecom technologies will be employed in the current fiscal, a top official of the Telecom Sector Skill Council said on Monday. The Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) also announced setting up a new Centre of Excellence for Skill Development Training in collaboration with Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia at Kaushalya - The Skill University campus in Ahmedabad. "TSSC will train 1.26 lakh youth in this financial year and they will be employed by the industry," TSSC CEO Arvind Bali said on the sidelines of the launching event of the new centre with Nokia. The CoE (Centre of Excellence) at ITI Kubernagar is setting up a Skill Lab for training candidates in 5G technology skills with the aim of providing placement offers within 4-6 weeks of course completion to at least 70 per cent of learners. About 300 such candidates will benefit from the programme in the first year of the project. "This is an important initiative supporting the Hon'ble Prime Minist