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News stories about "telecom" in India.

Posted on: 17 Oct, 07:52 AM

No withholding tax on discount on prepaid SIM cards, recharge vouchers: Supreme Court

Supreme Court ruled discounts on SIM cards won't trigger withholding tax. telecom operators not liable without commission payments. CBDT should issue Key Points

What are you getting—5G or 4G?: 5G coverage map on telcos websites likely

Telecom regulator Trai is considering a directive to display coverage maps on websites for consumers to know 5G and 4G availability. It plans stricter regulation, increased penalties, and state and district level quality of service monitoring to reduce call drops. Key Points

Vision 2047: India’s plans for the telecom sector

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has firmed up its vision for 2047 and policies will be framed to meet the following targets it has set, according to people in the know. The government has been formulating policies to achieve its objectives for 2047. Key Points

Bharti Airtel prepays ₹8,325 crore to clear deferred liabilities for 2015 spectrum acquisition

Bharti Airtel had won spectrum worth ₹29,129.08 crore at the auctions that were held in March 2015. Key Points

Canada’s Brookfield to buy American Tower’s India ops for $2.5 billion: Report

The deal, one of the largest telecom infrastructure deals in the country, marks American Tower's exit from the Indian market. Meanwhile, it will be Brookfield's third telecom acquisition in India over the past four years. Key Points

India to allot satellite internet airwaves without auction in win for Musk

The proposal was included in a new draft bill for the telecommunications sector, which seeks to replace the 138-year old Indian Telegraph Act that currently governs the sector. The bill was tabled for approval in parliament on Monday. While Starlink and its global peers like Amazon's Project Kuiper, and the British government-backed OneWeb would rejoice in the move, it is a setback to Mukesh Ambani, Asia's wealthiest, who runs Indian telecom giant Reliance Jio. Key Points

telecom PLI garners Rs 2,725 cr investments till end-Oct: Devusinh Chauhan

The Indian government has received Rs 2,725 crore investments from 42 applicant companies under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom gear manufacturing, according to Devusinh Chauhan, minister of state for communications. The scheme has generated over 15,500 new jobs and exported products worth Rs 8,804 crore. The PLI scheme was launched in June 2021 and has catalyzed the production of telecom equipment in India. Key Points

Rational with telco tariffs pe tariffs

Telecom is acquiring an economic role as vital as energy, and the government should draw its conclusions from price distortions in the electricity industry that has hobbled private investment. Solutions need to be sought within the judicial constraints on pricing natural resources to allow the industry to grow on its own. Free pricing provides the sole assurance. Key Points

The Economic Times

Are threats for Reliance from Israel-Hamas war & likely Disney's India asset buy too strong?

Reliance Industries' credit metrics are expected to worsen in the second half of the fiscal year due to factors such as lower O2C margins, significant organic capital expenditure (capex) in telecom, retail, and renewables, and a potential acquisition of Disney's India media assets. This may outweigh the strong EBITDA generation from the telecom and retail businesses. Management also foresees increased capex in FY24, especially with the conclusion of 5G rollouts. Key Points

Govt wants India's telecom service to remain most affordable in entire world: telecom Minister Ashwini Vai

Union telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed the government's commitment to keeping India's telecom services the most affordable globally. While the telecom sector in India has the lowest ARPU among large economies, analysts suggest that telecom operators need to raise ARPU to sustain their investments in 5G networks. Key Points

Tired of call drops? Expect better quality service from telcos as Trai seeks to tighten rules

The telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is considering imposing strict financial penalties on telecom companies that fail to meet quality of service (QoS) requirements at the state and district levels. Currently, QoS is measured at the telecom circle level, but Trai believes that measuring at a district level would provide more accurate data and allow for penalties to be imposed on telcos with persistent service issues. Key Points

Trai imposes over Rs 1 cr penalty on Voda Idea for failure to curb pesky calls, SMS

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) telecom regulator Trai has imposed over Rs 1 crore penalty on Vodafone Idea for failure to curb pesky calls and SMS, the company said on Friday. The telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) levied the fine on September 28, Vodafone Idea (VIL) said in a regulatory filing on Friday. “Failure […] Key Points

Companies list challenges as Trai mulls stricter service quality norms

Industry executives say the proposed need for submitting state-wise data is also challenging as the network architecture is planned telecom circle-wise. Another issue pointed out by the telecom firms is around quality of service (QoS) norms for 5G. The telcos feel that network roll out is under progress, and they can be held accountable as per network roll out obligations. Key Points

Ringing in the AI age across Telecom

At the recent telecom Leadership Dialogue, organised by FinancialExpress.com and powered by IBM, senior leaders from telecom companies of the country Reliance Jio and Airtel, as well as tech leaders from IBM deliberated on how AI not only helps in enhancing efficiencies but also offers scale, reach and reduced costs. Key Points

Financialexpress

No more unwanted calls and messages! TRAI's new AI spam filters bring relief to Indian telecom users

Under the new rules, all telecom companies in India will be required to utilize AI spam filters in their call and SMS services. This significant move by TRAI is aimed at safeguarding consumers from fraudulent and harassing activities. Key Points

Vodafone Idea funding woes may lead to duopoly in market, hurt consumers: Global Data

While the government converted the accrued interest on adjusted gross revenue dues at the start of the year, the telco has failed to secure any fresh investment from external investors and promoters alike. This means the government may have to intervene to ensure that there is healthy competition in the telecom market, Charan Padala, principal analyst - thematic intelligence, GlobalData said. Key Points

Regulators instruct telecom operators to promptly notify of any network disruption

Telecom operators must report to the TRAI in case of continuous outages for a period of more than four hours. The report must be submitted within 24 hours of their occurrence, says TRAI. Key Points

Akhil Gupta on how Bharti Airtel survived a tough telecom industry & plans for next 10 years

Akhil Gupta, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises has said that the low return on capital investment is the biggest inhibitor for the growth of the telecom sector in India, pointing out that that is why financially healthy companies such as Bharti Airtel exist. He also emphasised on the fundamental importance of strong balance sheets, and that the digital age brings an opportunity to invest in providing networks to newer collaborative partners while trying to increase revenue per user. Key Points

Jio urges Centre, Trai to ensure adequate spectrum for telcos

The government plans to auction 10.5 GHz of 5G spectrum in eight bands - 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz. The airwaves are worth ₹96,317.65 crore at reserve price. Sub-GHz airwaves in the coveted 700/600 MHz bands, though, are not on offer this time. Jio's Oommen also called on the government to expedite steps to prevent rampant fibre cuts and penalise those responsible, warning that vital telecom infrastructure was getting destroyed nationally. Key Points

DoT clarifies: telecom companies need to pay fee only on core activities

The latest clarification brings big relief to a debt-laden industry as carriers need to pay 8% of AGR as license fee, experts said. They estimate that roughly 10% of an operators overall revenue comes from non-telecom activities. After the announcement of telecom reforms in September 2021, the government had notified that non telecom revenue would be excluded from the definition of AGR from October 1, 2021. Key Points

Reliance Jio continues its hold with 30.4 lakh new subscribers in April; Vodafone losses widens

The private service providers are dominating the telecom space as they held 90.8% market share with Reliance Jio holding a whopping 37.9%, followed by Bharti Airtel at 32.4% Key Points

Data is king but OTT gobbles up 80% call and 94% SMS revenue

In the telecom sector, data has trumped voice, with a major share of telecom revenues coming from data. But ironically, data-powered communication apps have grabbed the voice business from telcos, thus eating into the revenues of telcos. With the Internet powering cars, homes, industry, education and governance, data is indeed becoming the new oil. Key Points

India cabinet approves $11 billion revival plan for state-owned BSNL

India's cabinet on Wednesday approved an 890.47 billion rupee ($10.79 billion) revival package for loss-making Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to help the state-owned telecom operator deploy 4G and 5G services in a market dominated by private players. Key Points

No plans to take over Vodafone Idea: Government

The government became the largest stakeholder in Vi with 33.1% stake in February this year, when the telecom department converted the firms accrued interest on deferred adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues worth Rs 16,133 crore into equity. Key Points

Telcos' switch to full-fledged tech companies inevitable: Azhar Sayeed, Red Hat

It's a universal trend...but in India, there are probably a few more levels. The telco to techco transformation has to happen. It's not an if, but when. It is almost an existential crisis, Red Hat chief technologist Azhar Sayeed told ET. Key Points

New telecom Bill draft: TRAI-ing again for that right balance

The telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is rethinking the regulation of communication services provided by technology companies. Telcos believe that over-the-top (OTT) applications threaten their revenue by offering calling and messaging services that require cellular networks to pay for spectrum and procure licenses. A new telecom bill draft includes OTT apps, but India's government clarified that it does not intend to impose "same service, same rules". Key Points

The Economic Times

Reliance Jio demonstrates ambition to deliver innovative services: Cisco CEO

US-based telecom company Cisco's CEO Chuck Robbins said that billionaire Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio has demonstrated impressive capabilities and has ambitious plans to delight customers with new offerings. Cisco is hopeful that it can help Reliance Jio in its journey. Robbins also said that 5G and private 5G is a big opportunity for Cisco and they have started working on it. Key Points

As Vodafone Idea dials in again for fundraise, will the call connect this time or go unanswered?

Vodafone Idea is considering fundraising options to raise equity capital, crucial for its survival in the telecom industry. The company remains engaged with parties for network expansion and 5G rollout. The stock has seen gains, but concerns about debt and network upgrades persist. Key Points