Kolkata: The BJP on Sunday alleged there was a possibility that the recent flopped spectrum sale was "deliberately manipulated" to show that the CAG's calculation of presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer was erroneous and demanded a probe in this regard. "There is a possibility that this auction has been deliberately manipulated," senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said. Expressing surprise at "important telecom players not...
08:42 PM, Nov 18, 2012
New Delhi: Attributing "sensationalism" over the CAG's presumptive loss figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore for the "killing" of the telecom sector, government on Friday said it plans to auction by March-end the circles that were not taken in the flopped sale of mobile phone spectrum this week. It also rejected Opposition allegations that government was celebrating the failure of the auction and said notwithstanding the poor response, it will...
03:20 AM, Nov 17, 2012
The Samajwadi Party on Friday announced a list of 55 candidates for the Lok Sabha election. ...
10:46 PM, Nov 16, 2012
New Delhi: After a dismal 2G spectrum auction, the government once again defended itself questioning the 2G scam loss figure quoted by CAG and also said that it intends to hold another auction before March 31, 2013. "The intent is to try and have another auction before 31st March. We will discuss how to move forward and take a call on it," Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said. As against...
03:01 PM, Nov 16, 2012
New Delhi: The much talked about 2G mobile phone spectrum auction ended in a damp squib on Wednesday with half of the airwaves on offer remaining unsold and government getting just about one-third of the targeted revenue. According to preliminary estimates, the government received bids worth "much-less" than Rs 10,000 crore in an auction that ended in two days, a far cry from the 35-day bidding for the 3G spectrum...
07:05 PM, Nov 14, 2012
New Delhi: The second day of auction for 2G spectrum started at 9 AM on Wednesday, on the back of demand for spectrum in the Bihar telecom circle. A Department of Telecommunications official replied in the affirmative when asked if the auction resumed on time on Wednesday morning. "Yes. Eighth round is in progress," the official said. The government is auctioning eight blocks of spectrum having 1.25 megahertz airwaves frequencies...
10:44 AM, Nov 14, 2012
New Delhi: An auction of 2G mobile phone airwaves attracted nearly $2 billion worth of bids on Monday but no interest for four zones in a process some carriers have said is too pricey. The government received bids worth more than Rs 9,200 by the end of the fifth round of the auction, out of seven held on the day, Telecommunications Secretary R. Chandrashekhar said, though he said there had...
04:53 AM, Nov 13, 2012
New Delhi: The much-awaited auction for 2G spectrum that was freed following the cancellation of 122 telecom licences started at 0900 hrs on Monday. The government expects to raise around Rs 40,000 crore through the auction. After two rounds of the re-auction of 2G spectrum there were still no bidders in five to six top circles in the country. Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar replied in the affirmative when asked if...
10:45 AM, Nov 12, 2012
New Delhi: The government will begin on Monday the auction for telecom spectrum through which it is hoping to meet Rs 40,000 crore revenue target. The auction for the airwaves or frequencies freed from the cancellation of 122 telecom licenses, belonging to mainly eight companies, by the Supreme Court in February, will start at 9.00 am on Monday. "We have taken quick decision, firm decisions in the telecom sector. The...
08:02 AM, Nov 12, 2012
New Delhi: The government will begin on Monday the auction for telecom spectrum through which it is hoping to meet Rs 40,000 crore revenue target. The auction for the airwaves or frequencies freed from the cancellation of 122 telecom licenses, belonging to mainly eight companies, by the Supreme Court in February, will start at 0900 hours on Monday. "We have taken quick decision, firm decisions in the telecom sector. The...
12:49 AM, Nov 12, 2012
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the union government for not implementing its order directing auctioning of 122 cancelled 2G licences in both letter and spirit and going in for a truncated auction. "Prima facie we can say you are not complying with the court orders. You are playing with it. It is unfortunate," apex court bench of Justice GS Singhvi and Justice KS Radhakrishnan told Additional...
04:59 AM, Nov 10, 2012
Islamabad: Authorities have agreed to allow mobile phone services between Pakistan and India though certain issues remain to be settled, a Pakistani parliamentary panel has been informed by officials. The Standing Committee on Commerce of the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament was told by officials of the Ministry of Information Technology on Thursday about the move to allow mobile phone services between the two countries. The panel expressed...
02:48 PM, Nov 09, 2012
New Delhi: The Cabinet on Thursday approved the levy of a one-time spectrum charge on all existing telecom operators. The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accepted the recommendation of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) that all existing mobile phone companies must pay one-time spectrum charge, sources said. The EGoM had proposed that GSM-based telecom companies pay for all their 2G spectrum holding beyond 4.4 MHz, while CDMA...
12:07 PM, Nov 08, 2012
New Delhi: To stop the menace of pesky messages, telecom regulator Trai on Monday said only 100 SMSes in a day per SIM card will be allowed at concessional rates. For every SMS beyond the cap of 100 SMSes, a charge of minimum 50 paise will be applicable, the regulator said. Subscribers have been facing the menace of receiving unsolicited promotional SMSes from unregistered tele-marketers who often take the advantage...
06:58 PM, Nov 05, 2012
New Delhi: The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) is likely to discuss the contentious issue of spectrum refarming on November 1, sources in Department of Telecom (DoT) said on Tuesday. Refarming calls for existing operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular to give up all their spectrum/airwave holdings in more-efficient 900 mega hertz band when their permits come up for renewal starting November, 2014. The operators will be given...
01:54 AM, Oct 31, 2012
New Delhi: Telecom major Bharti Airtel is the fourth largest mobile operator in the world with over 250 million connnections globally, according to analyst firm Wireless Intelligence. China Mobile continues to be at the top spot with 683.08 million connections, followed by Vodafone Group (386.88 million) and America Movil Group (251.83 million). Bharti Airtel (250.04) and Telefonica Group (243.51) are at fourth and fifth position, respectively, Wireless Intelligence said in...
03:57 AM, Oct 22, 2012
New Delhi: Telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Telenor and Tata Teleservices (TTSL) on Saturday submitted applications for participating in spectrum auction starting November 12. Sources at the Department of Telecommunications confirmed that Bharti Airtel has submitted application to bid for airwaves frequencies at pan-India level. Sources at Bharti Airtel, Idea and Vodafone also confirmed that companies have filed applications but did not disclose details of the application...
02:54 AM, Oct 21, 2012
New Delhi: The Telecom Commission has recommended that mobile phone carriers give up all their airwave holding in the superior 900 mega hertz band at the time of their permit renewals, a widely opposed move by the industry that says it will cost about $24 billion more in capital outlay. The Telecom Commission's recommendations will have to be approved by a ministerial panel before they are implemented, telecoms secretary R...
01:57 PM, Oct 17, 2012
Geneva: The world now has nearly as many mobile phone subscriptions as inhabitants. The UN telecom agency says there were about 6 billion subscriptions by the end of 2011 - roughly one for 86 of every 100 people. In a report Thursday, the International Telecommunication Union said China alone accounted for 1 billion subscriptions, and India is expected to hit the 1-billion mark this year. The Geneva-based agency says 2.3...
01:00 PM, Oct 12, 2012
New Delhi: Realty firm Unitech on Thursday said it has amicably settled all disputes over its telecom joint venture Uninor with Norway's Telenor and it would exit from telecom joint venture with Norway's Telenor by disposing of its entire shareholding in Uninor. The realty company which ventured into telecom with a tie-up with Uninor says it will sell its entire shareholding to the Norwegian firm. It will also withdraw its...
10:34 AM, Oct 11, 2012
