Page 8 - Telecom Services

Vodafone Idea soars 12% on heavy volumes; here's why

After the conversion of the spectrum liabilities into equity, Vodafone Idea is expected to raise bank debt which will help it undertake capex to strengthen its 4G network and rollout the 5G network.

Bharti Hexacom rallies 10% in 2 days, stock hits record high; here's why

Bharti Hexacom share price: The stock price of the telecom - cellular & fixed line services provider is quoting higher for the seventh straight trading day, surging 18 per cent during the period

MTNL defaults on Rs 8,346 crore loans from seven public sector banks

State-run telecom firm MTNL has defaulted on bank loans worth Rs 8,346.24 crore from seven public sector banks, the company said in a regulatory filing. The loss-making public sector telecom firm's total debt obligations reached Rs 33,568 crore as on March 31, 2025, according to the filing dated April 19. The total loan default includes Rs 3,633.42 crore of debt raised from Union Bank of India, Rs 2,374.49 crore of Indian Overseas Bank, Rs 1,077.34 crore of Bank of India, Rs 464.26 crore Punjab National Bank, Rs 350.05 crore from State Bank of India, Rs 266.30 crore from UCO Bank and Rs 180.3 crore along with principal and interest payment. The defaults in loan payment have occurred between August 2024 to February 2025. The total debt on the company comprises Rs 8,346 crore bank loan, Rs 24,071 crore sovereign guarantee (SG) bond, and loan of Rs 1,151 crore from Department of Telecom (DoT) for paying SG bond interest, according to the filing.

Vodafone Idea suffers outage in Delhi, Mumbai; services restored now

Vodafone Idea faced a major outage in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and NCR in the early hours of April 18. Services have now been restored, the company said

Bajaj Finance, Bharti Airtel, IndiGo, Narayana Hrudayalaya hit record highs

Shares of Airtel hit a record high of ₹1,818, as they soared 3.5% in intra-day trade, surpassing its previous high of ₹1,778.95 touched on September 26, 2024.

Private telcos publish 5G, 4G, 2G network coverage maps as per Trai order

Private telecom operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have published 5G, 4G and 2G network coverage maps in compliance with sector regulator Trai order, while public sector firms BSNL and MTNL are yet to publish it. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in a revised regulation on service quality norms for landline, mobile and broadband in August 2024, had mandated telecom operators to publish service-wise geospatial coverage maps on their websites on where wireless voice or wireless broadband service is available for subscription by consumers. "In a significant move to enhance transparency and empower mobile subscribers, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have published mobile network coverage maps on their websites, as per the mandate given by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)," the regulator said in a statement. As per the details shared by Trai, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have published the coverage, while state-run BSN

Voda Idea debt at Rs 2.17 trn in Dec 2024 quarter, govt stake up at 48.99%

According to the company's investor presentation, the debt of Rs 2.17 trillion comprises Rs 2,14,700 crore payment obligations towards the government

Govt delays mandatory broadband gear testing rule till Sep 1 amid US tariff

The telecom department has deferred mandatory testing requirements for broadband gears till September 1 amid ongoing negotiations with the US on tariff issues. The US government has specifically termed India's testing and certification requirements in the telecom sector as burdensome that make it difficult or costly for American companies to sell their products in India. The National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS) under the Department of Telecommunications on April 7 notified that optical network terminal (ONT) and optical line terminal (OLT) products will be under the voluntary security certification (VSC) regime till August 31 during which administrative fees and security test evaluation fees shall not be levied. Earlier the DoT had set April 1 for mandatory testing and certification of ONTs that have already been deployed in telecom networks and are proposed for change in hardware and software. The department had set February 2 as the last date for mandatory ...

Nokia to upgrade VI's optical network to boost 4G services, back 5G rollout

Telecom gear maker Nokia will upgrade and expand Vodafone Idea optical transport network across key metro and circle locations in India, the company said on Monday. Nokia is among three vendors selected by Vodafone Idea for the Rs 30,000 crore network expansion plan. "Nokia's innovative optical solutions align perfectly with our goal to enhance customer experience and ensure robust network readiness for future demands. "With Nokia's advanced optical network solutions, we are excited to build an agile, high-capacity and future-ready network that will support India's digital transformation and drive innovation across sectors," Vodafone Idea chief technology officer Jagbir Singh said in a statement. This upgrade is expected to increase Vodafone Idea's capacity, which will support 4G data growth in the network of telecom operators. In addition, Nokia's equipment will modernise the network, providing flexibility and efficiency, and boost VIL's 5G rollout, the statement said. "We are p

Govt to convert Rs 37K cr Voda Idea dues into equity, raise stake to 49%

Promoters will continue to retain operational control of firm

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