Budget2012 – Tax on Vodafone-Hutch Deal Retrospectively + 700 MHz Auction + USD 12 Bn from Spectrum Sales
The Government of India has made provisions in the Finance Bill to Tax Deals like Vodafone-Hutchinson happening abroad on Assets and Operations in India retrospectively from 1962. This will discourage Investment in Telecom and other Industries. The Government [Politicians] wants to prove that they are Supreme and can do anything.Continue Reading
Mobile Termination Charges / Interconnect Charges – Incumbent Vs New Operators – Cat and Dog Fight
Another Big Issue the Indian Telecom Operators are Lobbying [Read Bribing and Making the System Corrupt] for is the issue of “Mobile Termination Charges / Interconnect Charges“. India has followed the regime of Calling Party Pays – A charge where the operator from which the call originates pays to theContinue Reading
Will MTS Sistema Shyam Teleservices sail through the SC verdict on 2G Scam ?
MTS Sistema has filed a review petition with the SC in the 2G Spectrum Scam case praying that the ruling should not apply to it on the following grounds, SC’s cancellation of 2G licenses issued on or after January 10, 2008 was based on the premise that FCFS method ofContinue Reading
Liberalization of Spectrum – Reliance NetConnect Broadband + Tata DoCoMo Photon+ + BSNL EVDO il-Legal Services?
The TRAI Consultation Paper released yesterday talks of the much awaited liberalization of Spectrum – which means making spectrum technology-neutral, or allowing an operator to utilize spectrum won through an auction for any technology. The consultation paper discusses this issue in detail. The consultation paper clearly mentions that spectrum isContinue Reading
TRAI Releases Consultation Paper on Auction of 2G Spectrum
TRAI has released consultation paper [PDF] on the auction of the scam tainted spectrum earlier allotted to 122 licensees. There is a wide range of views given the number of stakeholders involved and hence no conclusive recommendations at this stage. Key issues discussed in the Consultation Paper are as follows,Continue Reading
TRAI on National Telecom Policy – Supports VoIP + Sharing Active + Passive Infra + MVNO
TRAI published its comments on the draft NTP 2012 announced by the Telecom minister on February 15, 2012. Most of their views like doing away with the concept of roaming charges and inter-connection charges are consistent with that indicated before. The key comments by the TRAI are as follows, MoveContinue Reading
State of 3G in India 12 Months after Launch – Comapring Reliance Vs Airtel Vs Idea
It is little over 12 months since operators started rolling out 3G Services in India. Here is a Status check on the State of 3G in India. 3G accounts for only 1-2% of the subscriber base, and incremental 3G revenues are a similar proportion of total revenues. 3G has hadContinue Reading
New vs Old National Telecom Policy 2011-12 Comparison – Govt Wrong on Spectrum Sharing
India’s Minister for Communications & IT has announced incremental roadmap for the National Telecom Policy 2011-12. Here is a Side by Side comparison of what existed and what is proposed in the new policy. Unified Service Access License – [Current] Bundled with spectrum [Proposed] Licence and spectrum delinked, spectrum toContinue Reading
2G Spectrum Case – Suggestions to the TRAI Paper on 2G Spectrum Auction
Today is the Last Day for submitting your voices on the proposed auction of 2G Spectrum as the outcome of Supreme Court judgment earlier this month. Here is mine. Dear Members of the TRAI / Committee on 2G Spectrum Auction: I am writing to you in response to your consultationContinue Reading