|
Date:29/12/2000
The
department of telecom (DoT) will announce major policy decisions to further
open up the basic and cellular services sector on January 5. The full-telecom
commission today finalized the modalities for the entry of fourth cellular
operator and for opening up of the basic telecom service sector. Sources
said the DoT would go for a multi-phase bidding process for the award of
fourth cellular licence.
|
|
Date:28/12/2000
The
corporate holding structure of B K Modi group’s offshore cellular joint
venture in Nepal has been formalized. ModiCorp., the management holding
company of the BK Modi group, will pick up 60 per cent stake, while the
balance 40 per cent will be held by partner Khaitan group.
|
|
Date:28/12/2000
Hyperfast
Third-Generation mobile phones are coming to Japan in mid-2001, atleast
18 months ahead of the rest of the world, but their landmark debut will
be eclipsed by innovations in existing technology, analysts say.
|
|
Date:26/12/2000
Bharti
Group’s Cellular service brand Airtel is going to launch its WAP-based
mobile Internet services in Delhi. The Airtel service-Tango-will be launched
on Thursday. Subsequently, the service will be launched in Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh- where it also runs its cellular service-
within a month.
|
|
Date:24/12/2000
A
company has introduced a device that it says would shield the human body
from the ‘biological effects’ caused by cellphones. EMX Corporation recently
unveiled a microchip that, when inserted in mobile phone’s battery claims
to protect the caller’s body cells from electromagnetic fields emitted
by the phone.
|
|
Date:22/12/2000
The
world’s largest mobile phone company, Vodafone Group Plc, looks set to
extend its shopping spree into Australia with a report that it was bidding
about US$10 billion for Cable & Wireless Optus Ltd.
|
|
Date:21/12/2000
The
total spectrum fee for cellular mobile operators is set to be reduced by
more than 50 per cent. This decision was taken by the PM’s strategic management
group recently approved by DoT. It now awaits the formal endorsement of
the full telecom commission.
|
|
Date:21/12/2000
Ahead
of launching its cellular services in Delhi and Mumbai MTNL has been given
a berth in the private lobby of cellular operators. “ MTNL has become our
member recently. We have also asked BSNL to join the association for improving
the services,” T V Ramchandran, director general of COAI said today.
|
|
Date:21/12/2000
In
a last ditch attempt aimed at blocking wireless in local loop (WLL) based
limited mobility, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) plans
to file a petition in the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal
(TDSAT) in Friday.
|
|
Date:20/12/2000
In
a bid to garner support of senior government officials as well as investors
on unresolved issues inhibiting the rapid growth of the cellular industry,
several promoters of Cellphone companies have decided to congregate in
Delhi on Thursday and knock on the doors of the media. The operators who
will meet under the agies of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI),
are expected to list about half-a-dozen issues they say are preventing
them from offering affordable cellular services to the people.
|
|
Date:20/12/2000
Sony
Corporation of Japan will re-enter the cellular handset market in India
next fiscal with a range of WAP-enabled phones priced upwards of Rs 18,000.
The product is likely to hit the stands in the 2001-02 fiscal.
|
|
Date:20/12/2000
Philips
has decided to make a fresh entry into the mobile handset business. To
start with, Philips has decided to bring a top official from its Singapore
operations to oversee the launch of a range of attractively priced handsets
priced in the range of Rs 5,000-6,000 range. The official is expected to
take over as GM of Philips India’s Consumer communications business shortly.
|
|
Date:20/12/2000
Alcatel
plans to pump in $20 million into the India cellular phone market. Alcatel
is bringing in three new Cellphone models, Series 300, Series 500 and Series
700 to the country in 2001. Alcatel globally has around 6 per cent market
share in the handset market.
|
|
Date:20/12/2000
Britain’s
Vodafone Group Plc today said it bought a 15 per cent stake in Japan Telecom
for $2.22 billion. Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile phone service provider,
said it paid 2.6 million yen per share, or a 14 per cent premium to Japan
Telecom’s shares closing price of 2.28 million yen.
|
|
Date:16/12/2000
Hutchison-controlled
Command and Reliance Mobile are poised to announce a special auto-roaming
tariff plan for the eastern states, well below the prevailing Rs 10 per
minute national roaming air-time rate between metro circles.
|
|
Date:15/12/2000
Swedish
telecom equipment maker Ericsson is in talks to hand control of its mobile
handset activities to Japanese cell phone maker Matsushita Communications.
Ericsson, the world’s third largest mobile phone maker has a market share
of around 10 per cent.
|
|
Date:14/12/2000
Financial
instutions led by Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd (IDFC)
have jumped onto limited mobility bandwagon and have supported wireless-in-local-loop-based
telecom services.
|
|
Date:13/12/2000
Hutchison,
for the first time in India, is poised to kick-off a ‘roaming rewarding
programme’, in the three metro networks it controls, in a bid to galvanize
the roaming market. Under the proposal proposed ‘rewards programme for
in-roamers’, customer roaming into any Hutch metro network-will collect
points on their airlines, credit-cards and hotel membership depending on
roaming usage.
|
|
Date:12/12/2000
The
number of mobile phone subscribers in the country would exceed 50 million
by 2005 and cross 300 million by 2010, according to Cellular Operators
Association of India (COAI).
|
|
Date:12/12/2000
In
a race for acquiring 49 per cent in the RPG group’s cellular licence for
Chennai the BPL group is learnt to have put in a bid, pegging the enterprise
value of the circle close to $200 million. Hutchison lags behind with a
bid which puts little over $150 million. The other contenders, Birla AT&T
and Tata Cellular combine has pegged the enterprise value of the circle
at $140 million. Enterprise value refers to the value of the circle including
liabilities.
|
|
Date:12/12/2000
Uncertainty
in the cellular industry has led to Hong Kong-based telecom major First
Pacific Company Ltd putting its investments in India on hold. Matters such
as mobility to fixed service providers, uncertainty over WPC frequency
royalty charges, proposed licence fee of 17 per cent and CPP issue have
been strong deterrents to the growth of cellular industry in India and
they needed to be sorted out as soon as possible, said senior advisor to
First Pacific.
First
Pacific has a joint venture with Escorts Ltd for cellular services in UP
West, Haryana and Kerala circles under the brand name Escotel.
|
|
Date:10/12/2000
At
the end of October 2000, India’s cellular subscriber base has crossed 27.8
lakh according to the figures collated by COAI. That represents an increase
of close to 3.27 lakh over the end-August figure of 24.5 lakh. These numbers
are however, minuscule compared to China where the base is expected to
grow to 30m in 2000 from 43 to 73 million.
|
|
Date:10/12/2000
The
International Finance Corporation, the private financing arm of World Bank,
is joining the Mittals-promoted Bharti Telecom Ltd as an equity partner.
While the exact percentage of stake the World Bank arm is acquiring could
not be ascertained immediately, sources said IFC will be investing $20
million.
|
|
Date:8/12/2000
The
combined cellular business of Tata and Birla AT&T, usually referred
to as BATATA, is close to deciding on an official name. It will be either
called Birla-AT&T-Tata Limited (BATL) or BATCL. The C in the second
option could stand for either cellular or communications. The combined
entity will restructure their massive debt of Rs 850 crore after the merger
is completed. This cellular entity have already won a bidding race for
the Madhya Pradesh circle from RPG Cellular and are in the race for its
Chennai licence as well.
|
|
Date:8/12/2000
The
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is considering a proposal to go
for a multi-phase bidding process for the award of fourth cellular licence.
The modalities for the entry of fourth cellular operator is likely to be
finalized by the end of this month.
|
|
Date:7/12/2000
HDFC
bank has tied up with AirTel to provide mobile banking services to all
cellular phone users in Karnataka. With this launch, subscribers of both
AirTel and Spice Telecom in Karnataka can now access their HDFC bank accounts.
The mobile banking services from HDFC Bank have been made possible by SMS-enabled
banking technology.
|
|
Date:6/12/2000
Hong
Kong’s Hutchison Telecommunications, the largest cellular operator in India,
is in the process of evolving a single unified brand for the gamut of its
wireless mobile services in the country. The decision was taken in late
November at Hutchison’s head quarters, and the colossus has engaged one
of the world’s top brand consultants in the UK to create an entirely new
identity for the company.
|
|
Date:6/12/2000
Spice
Telecom, cellphone service provider in Punjab, Karnataka and Calcutta circles,
has joined hands with NCIC, US, to launch India’s first collect call facility
through mobile phones. The Spice Collect call is totally free of cost.
The subscribers will not be charged any airtime or monthly rental for getting
connected to US and the person based in the foreign country will be charged
for the call. Spice has configured the service in Hindi and Punjabi besides
English.
|
|
Date:5/12/2000
Finland's
Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, said that it would launch
a $500 million fund to invest in mobile Internet startup companies to keep
track of new technologies in its main field.
|
|
Date:5/12/2000
Hong
Kong based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, which runs cellular services
under the Orange brand in Mumbai, is planning to consolidate its cellular
telephone assets in India and list them within a year to 18 months. The
company has invested close to $500 million in its India operations since
1995.
|
|
Date:5/12/2000
There
is a proposal to increase number of private cellular telephone companies
providing mobile telephone services in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed
today. The fourth operator for cellular mobile telephone service is proposed
to be induced in all the service area in terms of the new telecom policy
and migration package offered to existing licensees, Minister of State
for Communications Tapan Sikdar said.
|
|
Date:4/12/2000
From
now on, pre-paid 'Ace' customers of Orange in Mumbai and regular subscriber
of Hutchison Max can avail of features like short messaging service (SMS)
and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) by paying less money. In a similar
move, BPL mobile has also slashed rates for its prepaid customers. The
new peak hour rates have been slashed to Rs 4 a minute from the current
Rs 6 level.
|
|
Date:2/12/2000
Mahanagar
Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is planning to launch its much talked about
cellular mobile phone service by January next year in Delhi and Mumbai.
|
|
Date:2/12/2000
Motorola
India Ltd is negotiating with a few local cellular operators to use a new
global technology that allows faster and permanent Internet access via
mobile phones. Motorola’s market research indicates that the demand for
mobile data services in India will initially be limited to large metros.
Motorola is in talks with Orange for the Mumbai, New Delhi and Calcutta
circles and Spice Telecom for Punjab and Karnataka to install GPRS on their
existing cellular networks.
|
|
Date:30/11/2000
The
Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI) has decided to go to the
court if the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) allows the basic telecom
service providers to offer wireless in local loop (WLL) -based mobile services.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is expected to submit
its recommendations on this issue by mid-December.
|
|
Date:30/11/2000
Hutchison,
the Hong kong based conglomerate which has introduced the Orange brand
in Mumbai, is now considering its strategy of launching the brand elsewhere
in the country."We would have to take a decision whether we wish to introduce
a brand where the ultimate ownership is with somebody else", a senior Hutchison
officer told.
|
|
Date:29/11/2000
Hong
Kong based cellphone operator Hutchison Whampoa which owns the popular
Orange brand in Mumbai may soon have to give it up in favor of the city's
second operator BPL-France Telecom. The French Telecom major, which recently
acquired worldwide rights for the Orange brand from Vodafone Airtouch,
intends to enforce its ownership in a bid to cash in on the popularity
of the brand.
|
|
Date:28/11/2000
The
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) today took a strong exception
to basic operators demand of limited mobility and warned that several bankers
and foreign investors in cellular projects has already expressed concern
on the regulatory and policy uncertanity that has emerged as a result of
the proposal.
|
|
Date:28/11/2000
The
23-billion-euro France Telecom, which has presence in 75 countries, has
kicked off talks with its Indian partners, the BPL group, for picking up
stakes in existing and future cellular and Internet projects. Currently,
France Telecom has 26 per cent stake in BPL's Mumbai cellular operator
BPL Mobile.
|
|
Date:27/11/2000
All
mobile phones in Britain will come with health warnings under new government
guidelines to be rushed out ahead of Christmas. The Department of Health
is finalising the wording on a leaflet which will be distributed to shops
selling mobile phones. The leaflets were expected to specifically warn
that children should not spend too long on their mobile phones, despite
continuing debate among medical experts over existence of any possible
health risks to users.
|
|
Date:26/11/2000
The
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is considering a proposal for the
fourth cellular licences bidding. The tendering conditions are expected
to be finalized by mid-December. This is a new tendering condition and
no reserve price requirement existed in the first round of bidding. According
to the proposals, the reserve price will be different in each circle and
will be linked to the licence fee paid by the operators who got licences
in the first round of bidding.
|
|
Date:26/11/2000
The
open house session on allowing the basic telecom service operators to provide
mobility saw professional lawyers fighting for basic telecom service providers
as well as the cellular operators. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) last week held an open house session to seek the views of consumers
and the public on allowing basic telecom service providers to offer mobile
telephone services based on the Wireless in Local Loop technology.
|
|
Date:24/11/2000
The
process of restructuring the Rs 850-crore combined debt exposure of Birla-AT&T
and Tata Cellular has been started with Birla-AT&T and the Tatas making
their first joint presentation to financial instutions. Banks and instutions
have an exposure of between Rs 550 crore to Rs 600 crore to Birla-AT&T
and another Rs 250 crore to Rs 300 crore to Tata Cellular. With the two
entities merging, lenders will have to take a view on funding the new entity.
|
|
Date:23/11/2000
The
Birla AT&T combine and Tatas last week filed for the merger in high
courts and on Thursday the combine will make its first join presentation
to about 20 lenders for both entities. The combine hopes to get all approvals
and get started by March 31,2001. The merger which would give the three
entities – Birlas, AT&T and Tatas- an equal 33.33 per cent stake in
the new company – was announced in March this year.
|
|
Date:22/11/2000
NTT
DoCoMo, the top telecom firm in the world by market value, will take its
successful mobile Internet services to the US market by buying 20 per cent
of AT&T Wireless Group Inc. An alliance worth up to $9 billion could
be announced that would give DoCoMo, a subsidary of Nippon Telegraph and
Telephone Corp, its long-sought foothold in the world's biggest communications
market, and give the newely established AT&T Wireless a chance to become
a major mobile service provider.
|
|
Date:21/11/2000
Singapore
Telecommunications said it would provide up to US$450 million in funding
for its Asian mobile phone joint venture with British entrepreneur Sir
Richard Branson's Virgin Group. SingTel, majority owned by the Singapore
government, said it would make the money available in the form of a secured
convertible loan facility to finance the joint ventures expansions across
Asia.
|
|
Date:21/11/2000
Finnish
telecom equipment maker Nokia said, it had won a deal with Singapore operator
M1 to build both a GSM 1800 and third generation (3G) mobile phone network
pending the operator's bid for a 3G licence in 2001. Nokia said the GSM
1800 network would replace Singapore's current CDMA network and would be
ready by the next year.
|
|
Date:19/11/2000
BPL
mobile, which
was to be the first in the country to announce the launch of GPRS services-which
promises faster access to the Internet-will now be able to do so only after
six weeks. This is almost 4 months behind schedule. BPL mobile was the
second in Asia and the fifth GSM operator in the world to offer GPRS.
|
|
Date:19/11/2000
Videsh
Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has asked investment bankers to come up
with proposals for strategic alliances and even for outright acquisitions
fot its plans to enter the cellular business. It has also asked the government
to give it a free entry into fourth cellular operator slot, as compensation
for taking away its monopoly ahead of schedule.
|
|
Date:16/11/2000
All
Reliance cellular circles are coming undre Auto-Roaming loop for
the first time.Reliance Telecom is formalizing agreements with Hutchison
controlled Usha Martin Telekom Ltd and BK Modi's SpiceCell.The cellular
circles run by Reliance are West bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh and entire North East including Assam. Once the auto-roaming
deals become official and the networks are ready to talk nearly 1.5 lakh
subscribers under the brands Spice and Command will be benefited.
|
|
Date:16/11/2000
The
London based global mobile satellite communications giant INMARSAT
is setting up 400 satelite phones in rural India by the end of this year.
This is for the first time that GMPCS ( Global Mobile Personal Communications
Systems) technology is being used for providing rural telephony. 270 VPTs(Village
Public Phones) have already been installed. Following its success in the
Indian market, Inmarsat will explore markets in China, Africa and South
America.
|
|
Date:16/11/2000
According
to a research conducted by Hyderabad based company Duke Arnics Electronics
Pvt. Ltd. of Dr. D.N.Rao, WAP enabled electronic meter reading of
consumers is bound to become a reality which will be very economical and
efficient. 60% stake of this company has been aquired by Delhi based Havell's.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers has evaluated the R&D facility and intellectual
property at Rs. 10 Crore.
|
|
Date:16/11/2000
Bluetooth
technology was the central attraction at the Comdex opened at Las Vegas.The
admirers of Bluetooth include Nokia, Motorola, Toshiba, Microsoft etc.Bluetooth
is a specification for a small-form factor, low-cost radio solution providing
links between mobile phones, mobile computers and other portable handheld
devices and connectivity to the internet.This is said to be a royalties-free
very open collaboration where everyone can use and develop technology.This
technology can revolutionise wireless communications where a portable phone
can talk to a refrigerator, a printer responding to a mobile phone etc.
|
|
Date:14/11/2000
Nokia,
the world's largest mobile phone-maker, said it would work with US computer
and printer-maker Hewlett-Packard to give users access to printers via
mobile phones. Nokia said in a statement the initial project would be an
Internet-enabled printer which would be able to receive a Web address sent
from a mobile phone, retrieve the data, and then print it.
|
|
Date:14/11/2000
MTNL
will promote a separate brand for its cellular services, to be launched
in January. It will be called 'dolphin' and have 'dolphin' as the
service logo. MTNL's dolphin cellular services will be based on both CDMA
as well as GSM standards. CDMA-based cellphone services will not have roaming
facility.
|
|
Date:14/11/2000
Mobile
phone leader Vodafone Group Plc announced first-half results that
reassured the market it could continue to increase profits in the face
of intense competition and expensive licence cost. Proportionate earnings
before interest, tax, depriciation and amortisation (EBITDA)- the market's
preferred yardstick for Vodafone-rose 24 per cent to £3.28 billion
before exceptional items.
|
|
Date:14/11/2000
Japan's
Matsushita Electric Industrial plans to start selling mobile phones
next month that can access the Internet and store up to 4,000 e-mail messages,
it said today. Matsushita, the world's largest consumer electronics-maker
with brands including Panasonic and Technics, said the phone will be capable
of using 64MB Secure Digital (SD) memory cards.
|
|
Date:13/11/2000
Fascel
Limited, the
cellular operator in Gujarat, is in talks with IDBI and other FIs for financing
its proramme for laying down a 1800Km optic fibre network in the state.
"IDBI has been financing our project and has agreed to further extend debt
for expansion. The proposal is with the IDBI board and it is expected to
give its go-ahead, Fascel chief technical officer said.
|
|
Date:13/11/2000
Switzerland
postponed its planned auction of four UMTS high-speed mobile telecommunications
licences today when the field of bidders narrowed to only four, the Bakom
federal telecom office said.
|
|
Date:10/11/2000
Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is considering the option of
allowing the cellular operators to offer fixed telecom services in case
the basic service operators are allowed to offer wireless in local loop
(WLL) based mobile services, as proposed by the department of telecom (DoT).
|
|
Date:10/11//2000
A
day after British Telecom’s (BT) announcement in London that it
was exiting its mobile phone venture in Asia, Bharti Enterprises has spelt
out the conditions under which it would be willing to consider BT’s exit
from its cellular operations in Delhi. According to Sunil Mittal, chairman
of Bharti Enterprises, the company is either willing to buyout the stake
of BT at a mutually agreed upon price or consider the induction of a JV
partner who is acceptable to both the partners.
|
|
Date:
9/11/2000
With
British Telecom today announcing a break-up of its operation to cut debt
by £10 billion and flagging a sale of its Asian mobile phone ventures,
there is huge question mark on Bharti’s joint venture with BT-Bharti Airtel-in
which the British Telecom giant holds 44 per cent stake.
|
|
Date:
9/11/2000
British
Telecommunications Plc, facing its biggest crisis since privatization,
announced its breakup of the company today and scaled back its global ambitions
in order to unload a third of its huge debt burden. BT said it would float
a 25 per cent stake in its mobile phones division and spin off its UK network
into a separate company that will also be listed on the stock market.
|
|
Date:
9/11/2000
India’s
Spice Cell Ltd. said that it has become the country’s first mobile telephone
service company to offer cellular phone access on board flights. Spice
Cell has joined the Skyphone consortium which includes BT and Singapore
Telecom. Spice Cell is one of the two private sector cellular service provider
in Calcutta, and has more than 80,000 subscribers.
|
|
Date:
8/11/2000
British
Telecommunications Plc, fighting its biggest crisis since privatization,
is poised to announce a restructuring expected to include a flotation of
its wireless division and a demerger of its UK network business. With the
cost of 3G mobile licences and acquisitions staining its balance sheet,
BT has been forced to expand a strategic review aimed at reviewing its
withered share prices into a debtcutting plan.
|
|
Date:
8/11/2000
Hutchison-controlled
Usha Martin Telekom Ltd (UMTL) gave its subscribers the Net edge by unleashing
Commandworld, its home grown brand of mobile Internet services, Commandworld
uses the wireless application protocol (WAP), which facilitates rapid delivery
of customized information and services from the net to a WAP-enables Cellphone.
|
|
Date:
8/11/2000
Japanese
consumer electronics giant Sony Corp will join rival Matsushita Electric
Induatrial Co and mobile phone carrier NTT DoCoMo to distribute music through
wireless phones. Such a service would leverage Japan’s leading position
in wireless service, where it boasts the world’s biggest population of
users-at 13 million-connected to internet on cellular phones.
|
|
Date:
8/11/2000
Bharti
Telecom, Reliance Infocom, and Himachal Futuristic communications Ltd are
engaged in a furious race to set up networks in the capital even as they
await the finalization of the norms for grant of licence . The companies
are waiting for the guidelines that are currently being discussed by TRAI.
|
|
Date:
7/11/2000
Vodafone
Group Plc may take minority stake in Swiss telecom provider Swisscom AG’s
mobile business, giving it a link to the Swiss market and boosting Swisscom’s
efforts to be a major European player. It is said that Vodafone was poised
to take a 25 per cent stake in Swisscom’s mobile unit.
|
|
Date:
5/11/2000
The
buy-out of RPG group’s Madhya Pradesh cellular licence by the Birla-AT&T-Tata
combine has hit an air-pocket. Air Touch Vodafone, which was to sell its
49 per cent holding in the company, is having some second thought on the
pricing of the deal, following the depreciation of the rupee against the
dollar.
|
|
Date:
5/11/2000
British
Government claims that hands-free mobile phone kits are safe were thrown
into doubt by research which showed they can increase radiation to the
skull by than three times. The research from the Consumers’ Association
(CA) concluded that hands-free kit users should not rely on them to reduce
radiation.
|
|
Date:
4/11/2000
Spice
Cell Ltd. Cellular service provider for Calcutta has bagged the licence
for setting up private cellular service operation in Nepal. This is the
first foray of the Spice brand of the BK Modi group outside India. Spice
Cell will be setting up a JV with the Khaitan group of Nepal where Spice
will have majority stake. The licence is for a period of 10 Years, renewable
for another five years.
|
|
Date:
3/11/2000
The
value added (VAS) cell of DoT has recommended to the full Telecom Commission
that liquidated charges should be recovered from the metro cellular operators
for delays in commissioning of service and for not providing coverage of
the requisite quality. The VAS cell has pointed out that BPL mobile in
Mumbai, Usha Martin and Modi Telestra in Calcutta would have to pay a liquidated
charges of Rs 20 lakh, Rs 50 lakh and Rs 50 lakh respectively.
|
|
Date:
3/11/2000
Japan’s
Toshiba Corporation and Siemens AG of Germany plan to join forces to develop,
produce and market third-generation (3G) mobile phones. They are expected
to reach a formal agreement on the deal by the end of this year in a bid
to take a bigger slice the worlds market dominated by Nokia, Motorola,
and Ericsson. The deal would allow two companies to conduct joint researches
to develop phones that can send and receive video images and transfer data
much faster than the existing phones.
|
|
Date:
2/11/2000
The
BK Modi-controlled SpiceCell Ltd has outgunned the Bhartis, BPL group and
the VSNL-MTNL-TCIL combine to bag the sole licence for the maiden private
cellular network in Nepal. The Nepal government is expected to shortly
issue the letter of intent to SpiceCell. SpiceCell will execute the near
Rs 100 crore overseas cellular ventures in strategic partnership with the
Khetan group, one of the largest business houses in Nepal.
|
|
Date:
2/11/2000
Videsh
Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL), the government owned international telecom operator,
is set to enter the cellular service sector in a big way. It has decided
to bid for the fourth cellular licence in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai,
in the next round of bidding. VSNL is also planning to buy out some of
the existing cellular operator. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT)
is expected to formulate the guidelines for the next round of bidding for
cellular licences within this month. The tender is expected to be floated
two months from now.
|
|
Date:
31/10/2000
The
telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) may recommend that
an additional licence fee be levied on the basic telecom services operators
providing limited mobility telephone services based on Wireless in Local
Loop (WiLL) technology. At Re 1.40 per three minutes, they could offer
rates 10 times cheaper than those offered by GSM-based mobile telephone
services if they were allowed WiLL services.
|
|
Date:
31/10/2000
HDFC
Bank, in a
bid to take on Citibank, has launched ‘Freedom-The e-Age savings Account’
for cellular phone users. The offering from both the banks are similar,
though HDFC Bank, with its late mover advantage offers superior services
in terms of mobile banking.
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Date:
31/10/2000
NTT
DoCoMo Inc
refused to comment on Tuesday whether it is in talks with US mobile phone
companies about taking stakes in those firms, though companies said the
US market is attractive. The NTT DoCoMo statement came after it was reported
that DoDoMo was negotiating with AT&T Corp about taking a minority
stake in its wireless arm.
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Date:
31/10/2000
Vodafone
and Telstra Saturn announced a strategic alliance, establishing what they
said was the largest cross-network competition for Telecom Corp of New
Zealand. The two companies said they would develop integrated products
and services across Telstra Saturn’s fixed telecommunications network and
Vodafone’s mobile network in New Zealand. The two will work together to
provide Telstra Saturn fixed and Vodafone mobile solutions for customer.
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Date:
30/10/2000
A
few months back Indian Railways set up Railtel Corporation of India
marking their entry in the Telecom sector in a big way with a vision
of providing the country a parallel communications highway of millions
of voice and data transmission channels.The Railways already have Optic
Fibre Cable (OFC) network covering 4000 km which is expected to expand
to 9000 kms route before 2001 end. One advantage that Railway has is that
it enjoys "right of way" all along their 62,800 km route throuhout the
country which is essencial for laying OFC. Many private cellular phone
service providers have already approached Railways for linkages with its
OFC.
This
may result in providing a cheap communication network for the country's
vast rural and remote locations.
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Date:
30/10/2000
The
schemes like 'free night talk' from 9 pm to 9 am at a monthly rental
of Rs. 99/- and 'friends and relatives plan' in which calls to three numbers,
chosen by the subscribers are free, by the cellular service providers BPL
mobile and Hutchison ( brand-Orange) in Mumbai showed a significant
rise in the average usage from 250 to 300 minutes per month per subscriber.
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Date:
27/10/2000
The
Bharti Group
is restructuring to streamline the group wherein the foreign telecom partners
will gradually move out of the operational companies into the holding company.
This will ensure that the Bharti Group has clear management control in
the operating companies and no differences between partners. In one such
incident two overseas financial investors in JT mobile, Palmobile and Coment
of Mauritius will after divesting their stake in JT Mobile, simultaneously
acquire equity in the holding company of the Bharti Group.
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Date:
27/10/2000
MTNL
has constituted a four member internal committee to work out the tariff
plan for its cellular phone services to be launched in January next year.
General manager S.S.Sirohi has been appointed head of cellular operations.
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Date:
25/10/2000
TRAI
recommends the entry of the fourth cellular operator in all circles
to enhance the competetion to benefit the consumers by improved and cheaper
services.New operators would be allocated a separate frequency spectrum
of 1800 mhz as against existing 900 mhz to ensure that the quality of services
of the existing players is not affected.
|
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Date:
25/10/2000
AT&T
Corp
would restructure into a family of four companies that would be seperately
traded and pay reduced dividends in an effort to boost a stock price that
has fallen 47% this year. The plan will allow its major units consumer,
business, broadband and wireless to focus on particular market and compete
more effectively.
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Date:
25/10/2000
ALCATEL
bagged $250 million contract for turnkey implementation of the first phase
of Bharti-SingTel submarine cable project. The company will build the full
submarine system supply including the network design and management.
|
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Date:
24/10/2000
Mr.
Tirlochan Singh and Dr. Kuldip Singh of Chandigargh have developed a microchip
which when put on the antenna of a cell phone makes it safe from radiation.
The product called "TalkSafe" marketed by the company Spectrum RAD
Guard (P) Limited claim to block the radiation between 93.3 to 97.8%. The
claim is based on labaratory tests conducted by UK based Radio Frequency
Investigation laboratory and validated by a leading Indian telecommunication
conglomerate. The thumbnail sized product is compatible with various handset
models.
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Date:
24/10/2000
Subex
Systems,
a Bangalore based telecom software company reported a 62% rise in net profits
to Rs. 2.92 crore for the quarter ended 30th September.
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Date:
24/10/2000
Italy's
auction of new-generation high speed UMTS( Universal Mobile Telecommunications
System) mobile phone licences flopped as one of the bidders, BT backed
Blu quit the race, leaving the government with half the cash windfall it
had hoped. The Italian government called a snap ministerial to see if the
tender could be annulled.
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Date:
24/10/2000
Bharti
Aquanet
a joint venture company between Bharti Enterprises and Singapore Telecommunications
Limited announced a submarine cable project connecting Singapore with Mumbai
and Chennai. This would be the world's largest private submarine cable.
The total length of the network will be 11,800 kms. with a capacity of
8.4 terabits/sec which can carry 100 million conversations.The total cost
of the project will be
$650
million.
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|
Date:
23/10/2000
It
has been decided that the proposed Competition Commission of India
(CCI) would have jurisprudence over rulings of industry specific regulatory
authorities such as TRAI ( Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and IRDA
( Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority) only to the extent that
competition issues are involved.It would not give advance ruling on the
cases reffered to it. Appeals against the ruling of CCI can be made only
to the Supreme Court.
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Date:
23/10/2000
The
Bharti Group
which is already one of the largest telecom operators in the country is
targetting $1 billion turnover in the next few years. It has set itself
a very ambitious target of acqiring new cellular circles of Punjab, Haryana
and Tamil Nadu. It will also bid for the fourth cellular licence in Mumbai.
For the basic services it is targetting two clusters, one in north comprising
Delhi, Haryana and Punjab and another in south namely Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu.
|
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Date:
23/10/2000
Germany’s
Deutsche Telekom and Britain’s Vodafone Group Plc are competing to buy
a 20-25 per cent stake in the mobile phone division of Swisscom, reported
a German magazine. Stake in Swisscom Mobile would guarantee participation
in Switzerland’s upcoming UMTS auction for third-generation mobile phone
licences which begins on November 13.
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|
Date:
23/10/2000
British
Telecommunications
Plc is considering a multi-billion-pound sale of overseas asset
to cut its soaring debt levels. BT may be looking to unload some of its
interest in Asia. Holdings in continental Europe such as 25 per cent stake
in French telecom group Cegetel, a unit of Vivendi, could be on the block.
|
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Date:
21/10/2000
Finnish
telecom equipment-maker Nokia said on Friday it had taken full control
of Brazilian joint venture NGI Industrial by buying the 49 per cent stake
held by Gradiente Telecom SA for $415 million.
|
|
Date:
21/10/2000
Cellular
industry keeps up the good pace. Subscribers at the end of September
2000 stood at 2.62 million, compared to 2.45 million at the end of August-a
jump of 1.7 lakh, according to figures compiled by Cellular Operators Association
of India.
|
|
Date:
21/10/2000
The
private cellular operators today demanded a ‘floor price’ mechanism
for tariff fixation. Presently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) decides the upper ceiling of the tariff. The operators want that
it should also fix a minimum tariff. “In order to ensure level-playing
field, floor prices are required to be fixed, particularly, in the case
of incumbent dominant operators”, said the Cellular Operators Association
of India (COAI). COAI also said that the licences be transferred to the
lenders, bankers and financial institutions in case a company defaults
in its commitment to the instutions. This will help raising funds for the
expansion of the network.
|
|
Date:
21/10/2000
Once
the Convergence Bill is approved the existing telecom regulator,
the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be expanded to become
the ‘super regulator’. The Communications Commission of India will also
be the licensing and spectrum management authority, communications secretary
Shyamlal Ghosh said on Friday.
|
|
Date:
21/10/2000
The
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday recommended that
cellular operators be allowed to set up mobile community centers
and provide public call facility. If accepted by the DoT, mobile phone
operators will be able to provide public call facility on cellular phones.
|
|
Date:
20/10/2000
The
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended a reduction
of licence fee by up to 80 per cent for the Very Small Aperture Terminal
(VSAT) operators. The recommendations were today submitted to the
Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
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Date:
20/10/2000
The
revenue share payable by cellular operators has been fixed at 17
per cent. The telecom commission has accepted the TRAI’s recommendation
in this effect. Since both the telecom commission and the TRAI are agreed
on the figure of 17 per cent, there are unlikely to be any further changes
on the revenue sharing figure.
|
|
Date:
19/10/2000
Ram
Vilas Paswan, on Wednesday said that the norms for cellular services would
be announced by November and the government expects to open up bidding
for the fourth operator by December. He clarified that the government
would have opened the services to more players if there had been no spectrum
shortage.
|
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Date:
19/10/2000
To
take on the expanding grey market, HCL Infosystems, a technology
integration company, is opening a series of exclusive Nokia centers in
India. To be set up in permier retail distribution centers, these aim to
bring synergy between the retailer and the customer.
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Date:
17/10/2000
Mobile
phone firm Orange said today it had pulled out of the UK government’s
auction of licences to provide wireless Internet services to desktop computers.
Orange’s owner, France Telecom, is preparing to float the company early
next year.
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|
Date:
15/10/2000
In
a bid to sell off its cellular circles-either partly or fully Usha Telecom
Ltd, has decided to pay its entire dues of Rs 316 crore to the Department
of Telecommunications (DoT). The licences of three telecom circles, Western
UP, Bihar and Orissa were disconnected in May 1999 for non payment of licence
fees to the government.
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Date:
15/10/2000
Even
as the Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked the Telecom Regulatory of
India (TRAI) to recommend an entry fee and revenue share percentage for
allowing basic telephone service providers to offer wireless local loop
technology, industry and users alike are engaged in a furious debate over
this issue. At stake are crucial issues like bringing the benefits of technology
to the users, faster roll out of telecom networks, increasing tele-density
and financial prospects of service providers.
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Date:
14/10/2000
Hongkong’s
Pacific Century Cyber Works Ltd surrendered control of its mobile phone
business to Australia’s Telstra Corp. in a long-awaited repricing that
salvaged their pan-Asian telecoms alliance today. Australia biggest teleco
said the revised deal gives it 60 per cent of a regional wireless joint
venture with PCCW while reducing its cash commitment by $1 billion.
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Date:
14/10/2000
Airtel
Cellular Service has launched Airtel Message World in Karnataka, a new
value added service introduced for the first time in the country.
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Date:
14/10/2000
Motorola
Inc. the world’s second largest mobile phone maker, said on Thursday, Merle
Gilmore, executive vice-president and president of the Communications Enterprise
unit, resigned effective immediately. The surprise came a day after the
company cut its earning forecast and project a slower growth rate for its
mobile phone unit.
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|
Date:
12/10/2000
In
Delhi the last two months have been very bad for cellular subscribers.
Making phone calls from landline to Airtel’s cellular phone have proved
to be a haranguing effort for subscriber due to a low call success rate.
The roaming services have also been severely affected. Consequently, the
call success rate from fixed line to cellular phones has gone down by 25
per cent in some of the areas.
|
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Date:
12/10/2000
Companies
dealing in cellular phone services have been allowed to set up temporary
structures on rooftops in non-residential areas by the Municipal Corporation
of Delhi. They will be required to pay Rs 1 lakh per site as a one time
fee.
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|
Date:
12/10/2000
The
government has asked the telecom regulator to recommend licence
fees for enabling basic operators to venture into limited mobile phone
services as a part of the efforts to give them level playing field vis-à-vis
cellular operators.
|
|
Date:
9/10/2000
UK
mobile giant Vodafone Group Plc is vying for a stake in the mobile
phone unit of Irish telecommunications group Eircom. The sale of
a stake in Eircell would help Eircom’s share price and give Vodafone a
foothold in Ireland’s fast-growing mobile phone market.
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|
Date:
8/10/2000
Even
after the Supreme Court dismissed the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam’s (MTNL’s)
appeal against a high court judgment that prevented disconnection of telephone
lines of consumers other than the original defaulter, the company continues
to do so. MTNL officers cite Rule 443 of the Indian telegraph rules, which
empowers them to disconnect a subscriber phone on grounds of non-payment.
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Date:
6/10/2000
The
purchase of a $2.5 billion stake in China Moblie (Hong kong)
by Vodafone Group –the world’s largest mobile phone operator-is
a sign of bigger deals to come, analysts said. “After years of frustration
in China’s rapidly growing but highly protected telecom market, foreign
firms were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” the analyst were
quoted as saying”.
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|
Date:
6/10/2000
Investors
cheered China Mobile (Hong Kong) Ltd’s $32.84 billion deal to buy
seven networks from its mainland parent, but the analysts questioned the
quality of the assets and predicted that the current rally in the company’s
shares would be short lived.
|
|
Date:
5/10/2000
At
the end of August, the cellular subscriber base stood at 2.45 million
compared to 2.33 million at the end of July, an increase of 1.3 lakh, according
to figures compiled by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
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|
Date:
5/10/2000
SpiceCell,
the Bhartis and the BPL group have been shortlisted last week after technical
evaluation of their respective bids for the maiden private cellular venture
in Nepal. Also in the fray is the VSNL-MTNL-TCIL public sector consortium
that has no past experience in GSM-based cellular telephony.
|
|
Date:
4/10/2000
Japanese
conglomerate Mitsubishi on Tuesday launched its global brand of
mobile handsets Trium in India with a price tag ranging from Rs.
9,810 to Rs. 26,300. All Trium phones are in dual band and will support
roaming facility in most parts of the world, barring the US.
|
|
Date:
3/10/2000
Having
announced a slew of telecom reforms recently, the Department of Telecommunications
(DoT) is now preoccupied with the prospect of ushering in “limited mobility”.
The decision to permit fixed service providers to use wireless technology
in the local area will have major consequences for the rapidly changing
telecommunications scenario.
|
|
Date:
3/10/2000
Ericsson
stands by an earlier estimate that its mobile handset business will be
burdened by losses of four to five million crowns this year, the head of
its consumer products division said.
|
|
Date:
2/10/2000
Hutchison
Telecom has
dropped its plan to take a stake in the four cellular circles operated
by AirCel Digilink, a company promoted by Ruias of the Essar group. Talks
between the two sides have fallen through due to differences over pricing.
AirCel Digilink holds cellular licences for the Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh (East) circles.
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