Telecom

2G scam: Raja accuses AG of telling 'untruths'

Former Telecom Minister A Raja has told a Joint Parliamentary Committee that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was fully aware of telecom policy decisions and has accused Attorney General GE Vahanvati of telling a "series of untruths" against him. Responding to a questionnaire sent by the committee, Raja said both Prime Minister and the then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee were kept informed on the licensing policy. ...  

Sinha accuses Chacko of being 'unilateral', calls for JPC meet

Taking strong exception to JPC Chairman P C Chacko's decision to send a questionaire to former Telecom Minister A Raja on 2G telecom spectrum scam, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has accused Chacko of "unilateral" behaviour and violating the principle of consensus for taking decisions. ...  

2G spectrum auction: SSTL bids for 8 circles

Lone bidder Sistema Shyam Teleservices (SSTL) on Monday bid for eight circles in the 2G spectrum auction for CDMA services. The second round of auction is underway and it is expected that it will end by the third round, which could be the shortest online sale of radiowaves in terms of time consumed. ...  

National free roaming likely before October: Kapil Sibal

Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday said the government will try to start national free roaming for customers before October this year. "Trai has floated a consultation paper on it (national free roaming). So when Trai's recommendations come and after that, we will try to start free roaming before October," Sibal told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of National Internet Registry (NIR) here. ...  

'Uncertainty will be resolved, spectrum will be auctioned'

Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday expressed confidence that the present uncertainty in the telecom sector will be resolved and spectrum will be auctioned. "For the present there is lot of uncertainty about auction but I am sure that this uncertainty will be resolved and spectrum will be auctioned. If the spectrum is auctioned we should get the money," Chidambaram said. ...  

Spectrum auction base price too high in India: Vodafone CEO

Vodafone, which has not applied for taking part in spectrum auction in March, on Tuesday said the reserve price set is too high and the company cannot afford to pay in India where there is uncertainty about airwaves and revenues are low. ...  

TRAI seeks industry view to reduce SMS rates

Telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has floated a consultation paper to bring down the rates of mobile calls and SMSes that are currently charged from a customer on availing roaming facility. Among various options to reduce or remove additional cost burden on roaming customers, TRAI has proposed a new norm -- Home Price Rule -- wherein a mobile subscriber should be charged the same amount that he...  

2G: Raja unlikely to depose before JPC, say sources

Former telecom minister and a prime accused in the 2G spectrum scam case, A Raja will not be deposing in front of the Joint Parliamentary Committtee (JPC), sources said on Tuesday. ...  

India may have to cut price to save airwave auction

Sistema emerged as the only operator bidding in an auction of airwaves in India, a sign that the government may have to drop the reserve price of remaining airwaves to attract interest, analysts said. ...  

2G: CBI witness identifies Anil Ambani's signature

In the latest development in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation case, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) witness has identified the signature of Reliance ADAG chairman Anil Ambani on some documents. ...  

CBI registers case against Airtel, Tata, SingTel for flouting telecom department norms

The CBI has registered a case against Bharti Airtel and Tata Communications Ltd for allegedly violating norms set down by the telecom department. The CBI claims it found that the companies had an arrangement with Singapore Telecom for international call facilities. ...

CBI registers case against Airtel, Tata, SingTel

The CBI has registered a case in a Delhi court against Bharti Airtel Ltd, Tata Communication Ltd and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd for allegedly causing a loss of nearly Rs 48 crore to the government since 2004 by illegally providing international long distance (ILD) services. ...  

Telecom licence renewal decision in 2 weeks: Govt

The Centre on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that the renewal of licences for 900 MHz spectrum of three leading mobile service operators would be decided within two weeks. "The government will decide their applications (for renewal of licences) within two weeks as per the law," Additional Solicitor General (ASG) AS Chandhiok told a bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher. ...  

Budget 2013: IT hardware biz seeks cut in duty, nil tax

IT hardware manufacturing industry will provide employment for not-so-lucky people, possessing educational qualifications like ITI and diploma, besides gender employment. Current Internet density and penetration of IT have enough of headroom for growth and India being geographically at a right location in the middle of the globe, it serves as centre for products and services exports towards African and South Asian countries, besides the Middle East. ...  

Last date for spectrum auction application Feb 25

The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has extended last date of application for spectrum auction to February 25. In an announcement on Wednesday evening, DoT made amendments to its notice inviting application in which it announced new dates in the schedule for auction. ...  

2G collusion: Balwa denies links with AK Singh

Widening its probe into the 'taped' conversation between Central Bureau of Investigation prosecutor AK Singh and Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, the investigating agency on Wednesday questioned Swan and DB Realty promoter Shahid Balwa. ...  

2G collusion: Shahid Balwa reaches CBI headquarters

Swan and DB Realty promoter Shahid Balwa on Wednesday reached the Central Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Delhi after the investigating agency summoned him for questioning in connection with the audio recordings of purported conversation between the CBI prosecutor AK Singh and another 2G scam accused Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra. ...  

Rates of Internet and broadband services may go up

Industry body ISPAI today said that rates of internet and broadband services may go up under new licenses framework due to high entry fee proposed by Department of Telecommunications (DoT). ...  

Uninor shuts telecom operations in Mumbai after SC order

An estimated 1.8 million telephones have gone silent in Mumbai since Sunday after Telecom operator Uninor closed its Mumbai operations from midnight following a Supreme Court order. ...  

Telenor India unit to shut Mumbai operations

Telenor's India unit said on Saturday it would close down its mobile phone services in Mumbai zone immediately after a court ordered that carriers whose permits were revoked and did not win fresh rights to airwaves must stop services. ...