Trai proposes to reduce reserve price for CDMA but not for GSM

Source: The Economic Times, May 14, 2012

NEW DELHI: The telecom regulator on Sunday proposed to reduce the reserve price of CDMA spectrum but made no change in its price recommendation for GSM spectrum auction.

The Telecom Regulatory authority of India (Trai) suggested a cut in the reserve price of CDMA spectrum from twice to 1.3 times the base price recommended for the 1,800 MHz band. The reduction, however, will be valid only in states where airwaves less than 5 MHz are available for auction.

Trai’s earlier proposal of charging 3,622 crore per unit spectrum to GSM operators in the upcoming auction and re-farming the 900MHz and 800MHz bands remains unchanged.

Telecom panel questions spectrum base price

Source: Business standard, May 04, 2012

New Delhi: The Telecom Commission, the highest policy-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has asked sector regulator Trai if there is an alternative option for fixing the reserve price of spectrum for auction.

It has also questioned the appropriateness of Trai recommending base prices for auctions in the 900-MHz and 700-MHz bands without awaiting the outcome of the auction in the 1,800-MHz band to be conducted by August 31.

Swiss company to launch multi IMSI SIM cards for cell phones in India

Source: The Times of India, May 03, 2012

Amritsar: With the introduction of multi International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI ) SIM cards, frequent travellers across several countries wouldn’t have to pay hefty roaming charges and change their SIM cards in every country.

Multi IMSI SIM cards allow cell phone users to have multiple mobile numbers from different operators on a single SIM card.

Telcos escalate war with Trai, complain to Pranab, Sibal, PMO

Source: The Economic Times, May 03, 2012

NEW DE:HI: A power-packed delegation of the country’s top telecom chiefs, including the global heads of two leading mobile phone companies on Wednesday met finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, telecoms minister Kapil Sibal, home minister P Chidambaram, representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office and four other key policy makers to demand that the government reject sector regulator Trai’s recommendations on spectrum auction.

TRAI to not get powers to issue licences to telecom firms, says DoT

Source: The Economic Times, May 02, 2012

NEW DELHI: The telecoms department (DoT) has decided to reject sector regulator’s demand that powers to issue licences to telecom firms be entrusted with it.

Last month, Trai had proposed that under the new regime – National Telecom Policy 2012 – where spectrum and licences are being separated, the government should focus on allocating airwaves while all licensing functions be brought under the regulator.

Mukesh Ambani-owned Infotel Broadband to set up over 1,00,000 towers for 4G operations

Source: The Economic Times, Apr 23, 2012

MUMBAI: Mukesh Ambani-owned Infotel Broadband Services plans to set up over 1,00,000 towers for its 4G operations in the next three years, moving away from its ‘asset-light’ model and possibly disappointing telecom tower companies, including Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infratel, which were hoping the RIL group company would use their passive infrastructure for its services.

Infotel Broadband had invited bids earlier this year from tower operators for leasing around 26,000 towers across India for the first phase of its wireless broadband foray. But those plans are on hold, and according to three people familiar with the development, the company has sought quotes and samples from equipment vendors for carbon fibre telecom towers.

Tower firms oppose change in FDI cap

Source: The Hindu Business Line, Apr 19, 2012

New Delhi: Telecom tower companies have opposed a proposal to bring down foreign direct investment (FDI) cap from 100 per cent to 74 per cent for telecom infrastructure companies.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested this move to bring FDI norms for the telecom infrastructure segment at par with service providers.

Telecom ministry moots no foreign vendors for sensitive projects

Source: The Economic Times, Apr 19, 2012

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to insist on 100% domestic sourcing for three major telecom projects worth nearly 36,000 crore, shutting off foreign vendors who were hoping to bag a chunk of these contracts.

 Citing security concerns, the telecoms ministry has decided to approach the Union Cabinet seeking its approval for keeping foreign vendors out of ‘sensitive projects’.

DoT asks telcos to comply with new tower radiation norms

Source: The Hindu Business Line, Apr 17, 2012

New Delhi: The Department of Telecom has asked all mobile operators to comply with the new emission norms for cellular towers.

Mobile companies have been told to certify all the towers by September 1.

New norm

The new radiation norm issued by the DoT has lowered limit of emission from telecom towers by one-tenth compared to earlier adopted levels.

TRAI wants licensing powers under new unified regime

Source: The Hindu Business Line, Apr 16, 2012

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed that the powers to issue licences to telecom companies would be brought under its purview. The regulator has said that since spectrum and licences are being separated, the Government could focus on allocating airwaves while the licensing function should be entrusted to TRAI.