Page 10 - Telecom Services

Govt to raise stake in Vi to 49% with fresh acquisition worth Rs 37,000 cr

The government has agreed to raise stake in Vodafone Idea to 48.99 per cent with fresh acquisition of shares worth Rs 36,950 crore in lieu of outstanding spectrum auction dues, the company said in a regulatory filing on Sunday. The government is the single-largest shareholder in the debt-ridden Vodafone Idea with 22.6 per cent stake. "The Ministry of Communications... in line with the September 2021 Reforms and Support Package for Telecom Sector has decided to convert the outstanding spectrum auction dues, including deferred dues repayable after expiry of the moratorium period, into equity shares to be issued to the Government of India. The total amount to be converted into equity shares is Rs 36,950 crore," the filing said. Vodafone Idea (VIL) said it has been directed to issue 3,695 crore equity shares of the face value of Rs 10 each at an issue price of Rs 10 each within 30 days after issuance of necessary order from relevant authorities, including from Securities and Exchange ..

GX Group acquires Ping Communication; eyes $50 million business in LATAM

Telecom gear maker GX Group has acquired Switzerland-based broadband and fiber solution provider Ping Communication to expand its presence in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, the company said on Friday. GX Group, CEO, Paritosh Prajapati in a statement said the company will leverage its "Made in India" products to compliment existing portfolio of Ping Communication and thereby scale up the revenue to USD 50 million, about Rs 430 crore, in the next two years in Latin America (LATAM) region. The company, however, did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. "After six months, Ping Communication will become part of GX Group. The current revenue of Ping Communication is around USD 30 million. By complementing its portfolio with our 'Made in India' products we expect to scale up our revenue to USD 50 million by 2026," he said. Ping Communication is part of Norway's Heimgard Group. "This acquisition is a key milestone in our 'Make in India for the World' journey.

Dilip Buildcon's consortium gets work order worth Rs 2,631 cr from BSNL

The Bhopal-based construction firm will take three years for construction, while the tenure of the maintenance contract is 10 years

BSNL revenue impacted by 4G delay, stiff competition: MoS Telecom

The revenue of BSNL is impacted due to delay in rollout of 4G services as well as stiff competition in the mobile segment, the minister said.

Jio, Airtel, Vi plan roll out of built-in caller ID to curb spam calls

Telecom operators like Jio, Airtel, and Vi have engaged vendors for a caller ID service on all smartphone screens without requiring any third-party app like Truecaller

Gopal Vittal elected GSMA chairman, second Indian to lead telecom body

Gopal Vittal has been a member of the GSMA Board for eight years in various capacities

Direct-to-cell satcom tech unlikely to disrupt terrestrial telco business

T-Mobile, Starlink to launch satellite-based connectivity, initially in the US, by mid-2025

TRAI plans to limit satellite permits to 5 years, defying Musk's Starlink

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is currently working on key recommendations to the federal government, including a time frame and pricing of satellite spectrum

Ashwini Vaishnaw deletes social media post welcoming Starlink to India

Vaishnaw's remarks coincide with shifts in the Indian telecom industry, as Jio Platforms Ltd. and Bharti Airtel Ltd. have unexpectedly partnered with SpaceX to incorporate Starlink's services

Musk's Starlink to vie with Indian telcos in fixed wireless access space

The challenge of course for Starlink will be to price its product competitively against both Jio as well as Airtel in FWA and with Airtel in satellite broadband

Lack of 5G monetisation, low RoI for telcos may delay 6G tech: COAI

Telecom operators have given orders for GPUs to better handle traffic on networks

Telecom operators hit back at DoT, Trai on service authorization plans

Say Trai's role may get diluted, satco, OTT concerns unmet

Sharing in the age of tech sovereignty: A call for collaborative growth

At the Mobile World Congress, Sunil Mittal called for shared tech infrastructure to boost returns. Will the industry listen?

Dish CEO seeks rollout of Trai recommendation on reducing DTH licensing fee

The government should immediately implement sectoral regulator TRAI's recommendation to reduce the licensing fee from the current 8 per cent to 3 per cent of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), said Dish TV CEO Manoj Dobhal on Thursday. He urged the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) to act swiftly as it can drive long-term sustainability and growth of the DTH industry, which is currently struggling. "Implementing TRAI's recommendations will unlock greater investment, foster innovation, and improve consumer access to quality services. A forward-looking regulatory approach is crucial for ensuring a competitive and thriving Pay TV ecosystem. We urge the MIB to expedite these much-needed reforms to support the industry's evolution in an increasingly digital landscape," Dobhal told PTI. On February 21, TRAI to ease the financial burden on DTH operators, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended a reduction in the authorisation fee from the current eight per .

Trai calls for separate network authorisation for telecom infrastructure

In line with similar recommendations for telcos, latest direction calls for ending the practice of signing agreements

Nokia wins Airtel deal to expand 5G FWA devices for fast internet in India

As part of this initiative, Nokia's 5G FWA and WiFi 6 access point devices will be manufactured in India, aligning with the country's 'Make in India' vision

Bharti Airtel surges 5% as Q3 results beat expectations; brokerages bullish

The company's consolidated profit skyrocketed 505.2 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 14,781.2 crore in Q3FY25 versus Rs 2,442.2 crore in the same quarter last year

Airtel Africa Q3 results: Net profit rises to $133 million, revenue up 2%

Appreciation in key currencies give exceptional gain of $94 million to company

Maha Kumbh 2025: No call drops, internet streaming with record teledensity

An expected gathering of 40 crore people at the world's largest religious gathering for over a month and no call drops and seamless internet streaming. Telecom service providers and the Maha Kumbh Mela administration are on their toes to ensure smooth connectivity at the grand event set to witness record teledensity. Laying down of additional optical fibre, installation of new towers and Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and deploying Cells on Wheels (transportable towers), are among the various measures taken to ensure robust and uninterrupted connectivity in the mela area during the event. According to officials at the Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC), three disaster management centres have been established in the mela area to support emergency communications and ensure prompt response during any crisis situation. "Mostly, all telecom providers have augmented their services here to ensure seamless communication for the millions of devotees and visitors. "Three disaster

Telecom firms request 2-year extension for compliance with DPDP Act rules

MeitY released the draft rules for the DPDP Act for public consultation on January 3 and invited feedback until February 18. However, the deadline is likely to be extended