The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has prohibited operators from using misleading titles to promote their tariffs and hiking of rates under a plan for six months from the enrolment date, even though they are free to reduce call rates.
TRAI prohibits tariff plans with misleading titles
May 18th, 2012Bharti Airtel slashes 3G mobile broadband rates
May 18th, 2012Bharti Airtel, the country’s number one operator by subscribers, has slashed 3G mobile broadband rates by up to 70 per cent, under an attempt to increase data usages in the country. Read the rest of this entry »
TEMA refutes Booz & Co study on Indian telecom manufacturing
May 17th, 2012The Telecom Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (TEMA) of India has refuted a study by Booz & Co and alleged it is an attempt to polarize and paralyze India government’s efforts to incentivise the local innovation and manufacturing. Read the rest of this entry »
Vodafone India to recruit 600 direct employees this year
May 17th, 2012Notwithstanding the uncertainty in the telecom industry, Vodafone India is to recruit 600 direct employees in this year and is planning to come out with an initial public offering (IPO) as it sees strong scope for growth. This comes at a time when global players – Norwegian telecom firm Telenor and Russian conglomerate Sistema, a shareholder in mobile operator Shyam Sistema – have threatened to shut operations, while UAE-based Etisalt had begun winding down operations.
Bharti Airtel may conclude Qualcomm stake sales in two weeks
May 16th, 2012Bharti Airtel, India’s largest mobile phone operator by subscribers, is in advanced talks to buy out stake held by Indian partners in U.S.-based Qualcomm broadband venture for about Rs 5,000 crore and is expected to concluded in the next two weeks. Read the rest of this entry »
Raja to walk out of Tihar jail after 15 months
May 15th, 2012Former telecom minister A Raja, one of the key accused in the 2G spectrum scam, was on Tuesday granted bail after spending nearly 15 months in the country’s high-security Tihar Jail. He was in jail February last year. The former telecom minister, who was branded as the master behind the country’s largest scam, was granted bail on furnishing personal and surety bonds of Rs 20 lakh each.
COAI shocked and aghast at 2G spectrum pricing, auction
May 14th, 2012The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) as accused the telecom regulator of “blatantly” ignoring industry representations on spectrum pricing and auction, and continuing to push its flawed recommendations. This move would further burden the sector. Read the rest of this entry »
TRAI recommendations not in line with global best practices
May 14th, 2012The recent Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommendations on spectrum are not in line with international best practices, particularly as the government proposes to auction part of the available spectrum by end of August, and at an extraordinarily high price, according to GSMA, the global association of GSM operators in the world.
Tariffs to rise on TRAI proposal to hike 2G spectrum charges
May 14th, 2012India’s status as one of the cheapest telecom markets in the world, with outgoing call rates of about 20 paise a minute, might change if the government heeds to the industry regulator’s proposal to hike spectrum charges by multiple times. Read the rest of this entry »