Page 2 - Telecom Sector

Govt unlikely to up Vi stake beyond 49%, says Jyotiraditya Scindia

The telecommunications sector, which currently accounts for 12-14 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), will grow to about 20 per cent over the next decade, the Union minister said

Beyond 5G, India's ambitions extend to 6G, satcom: Scindia at IMC

India's ambitions extend well beyond 5G, with a target of securing 10 per cent of 6G patents, while satellite communications are poised for exponential growth, with the market set to triple by 2033, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Wednesday. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, Scindia noted that India has evolved from being a follower of technology to emerging as a digital flagbearer on the global stage. Outlining India's transformation into a self-reliant nation, Scindia said, "the day is not far off when people will say the world depends on India." "I appeal to all of you today, design here, solve here, scale for everywhere. India innovates, and the world transforms," the Minister said. Satellite communications today are expanding horizons, taking connectivity from land to sea to space. The Satcom market today, across telecom and broadcasting, which is at close to USD 4 billion, will triple to almost USD 15 billion by 2033. At the heart of this

Vi continued to lose subscribers, BSNL saw growth in August: Trai

BSNL added 13.85 lakh mobile users in August, posting the highest monthly growth rate among telecom operators, while Vi continued to lose subscribers

PM Modi to launch BSNL's indigenous 4G network on Sept 27 across 98K sites

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil state-owned BSNL's 'Swadeshi' 4G network, marking India's entry into a coveted league of nations that produce and manufacture telecom equipment. The India-made network is cloud-based, future-ready and can upgrade seamlessly to 5G, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said. BSNL's 4G stack will be rolled out on September 27 across close to 98,000 sites in the country, the minister said, adding that simultaneous launch will happen across multiple states, alongside. The PM will inaugurate the network in Jharsuguda, Odisha, he added. The minister will be in Guwahati for the launch. "This is a new era for the telecom sector, an era where India has entered into the domain of top countries, which produce and manufacture telecom equipment, which includes Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, China...India is now the fifth country," Scindia said. The PM will also unveil India's 100 per cent 4G saturation network through digital Bharat Nidhi, where ...

Some solution has to be found in Vi's AGR case, Centre tells Supreme Court

The Centre told the Supreme Court that a solution must be found in Vodafone Idea's plea against additional AGR dues, with the matter adjourned for further hearing next week

Indus Towers' revenues hinge more on Vi turnaround than Africa plan

Indus Towers eyes Africa entry but analysts remain split on growth outlook as Vodafone Idea's turnaround and high capex weigh on sentiment

Trai's plan for ₹500 satcom levy aimed at rural rollout push 'rejected'

The telecom department will reportedly return the proposal to Trai for review, noting that the suggested ₹500 annual levy on urban satcom users is difficult to implement

Indus Towers to enter Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia in African expansion

Indus Towers board has approved its foray into African markets, starting with Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia, leveraging Airtel Africa's presence to diversify revenue streams

Vodafone Idea unit in talks to raise $570 million via short-term bonds

The unit of India's third-largest wireless carrier plans to issue bonds with tenors of two and three years, raising ₹30 billion and ₹20 billion, respectively, the sources said

BSNL launches 4G services in Delhi via partner network access arrangement

State-owned telecom service provider BSNL on Friday announced the soft launch of 4G network in the national capital. The 4G services will be available to users through a partner's network access arrangement, BSNL said in a statement. "The Delhi soft launch is delivered as a 4G-as-a-service through a partner's network access arrangement that provides last-mile radio coverage on compatible 4G devices, with BSNL SIMs. This approach complements BSNL's nationwide 4G build under its indigenous rollout programme," the company said. With this BSNL new customers will get instant 4G availability across Delhi on supported handsets. The customers can get SIM and eKYC done at BSNL and MTNL customer service centres and authorised retailers. "Starting today, new BSNL customers in Delhi can switch on dependable BSNL 4G for voice and high-speed data. We're using the 4G-as-a-service model to ensure citywide coverage immediately, while building parrallely our own indigenous network," BSNL CMD A Rober

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

India needs to take a comprehensive stance against increasing digital fraud

State action overhaul: Three policy suggestions

Starlink can provide services only to 2 million users in India: Centre

High cost and limited reach of Starlink's satellite internet will not impact BSNL's rural services, says Minister of State for Telecom Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar

Draft telecom policy targets 1 mn jobs, ₹1 trn investment a year by 2030

The draft National Telecom Policy 2025 outlines plans to double annual telecom sector investment, create 1 million new jobs, and expand 5G coverage to 90% of India's population by 2030

Why did UBS downgrade Bharti Airtel, Vi ahead of Q1 results? Find out here

UBS has downgraded Bharti Airtel to 'Sell' and Vi to 'Neutral', while keeping the target prices unchanged at ₹1,970 and ₹8.5, respectively.

The ideological abyss: Vodafone rescue requires solutions, not ideology

To rescue or not to rescue Vodafone goes beyond one's views on privatisation or nationalisation - it depends on what will work in a given context

AGR dues: Vodafone Idea unlikely to get further relief or payment extension

"There may be some payment terms being proposed (by the company), but the question remains whether they'll be able to honour those payments," the official added

Cosmic connection: D2D technology may redefine telecom rules in India

Direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity would allow users to access satellite connectivity on existing 4G or 5G smartphones - no special satellite phone would be needed

Wi-Fi segment to be worth $22 bn by 2035 in India: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Highlighting the recent de-licensing of the 6 GHz spectrum, the Minister said this move will enable multi-gigabit speeds and low-cost digital highways across India