Page 2 - Telecom

Vodafone Idea in talks with banks to refinance Rs 3-4k crore loans

This is expected to free up some cash for Vodafone Idea which needs to pay urgently to Indus Towers, Nokia and Ericsson

Urban areas in Odisha to get 5G, 1,814 villages to get 4G by December

5G connectivity was launched on January 5 in Odisha with services in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar through 510 BTSs (base terminal stations)

NCLAT rejects bankruptcy board's plea against telecom tower firm GTL Infra

Corporate debtor's business is sustainable and it is a viable going concern, NCLT had ruled

Vodafone Idea plans to get back in the game but fundraising a challenge

The estimate for what it needs to tackle now is Rs 40,000 crore

Trai to meet telcos on Feb 17 to discuss calls drops, service issues, 5G

Telecom regulator TRAI has called a meeting with telcos on February 17 to discuss measures and action plan for improving service quality, review of norms, benchmarks for 5G services, and unsolicited commercial communications. The meeting assumes significance as improvement in telecom service quality is bound to cheer mobile customers, irked by call drops and patchy networks. It also comes at a time when ultra high speed 5G services are rolling out across the country. So far, as many as 200 cities in India have seen launch of 5G services, the next generation of technology that promises turbocharged speeds (about 10 times faster than 4G) and low latency connectivity. Issues around service quality have been in the spotlight over the last few months. The Telecom Department back in December met operators to discuss rising instances of call drops and service quality-related issues, as it deliberated on policy measures that can be considered for improving call quality. In a statement on .

Union Budget 2023: Govt allocates Rs 1.23 trn for postal, telecom projects

The government on Wednesday allocated Rs 1.23 lakh crore for postal and telecom projects including Rs 52,937 crore capital infusion in state-run BSNL. Total allocation includes Rs 97,579.05 crore for the Department of Telecom and Rs 25,814 crore for Postal projects, the Budget document presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday. State-run BSNL, which is expected to roll out 4G and 5G services this year, will get Rs 52,937 crore capital infusion from the government in 2023-24. The government has allocated Rs 2,158 crore for Optical Fibre Cable based network for Defence Services and Rs 715.8 crore for telecom projects in the North Eastern states. The Department of Posts has been allocated Rs 25,814 crore and includes Rs 250 crore capital infusion in the India Post Payments Bank.

Vodafone Idea approves debentures worth Rs 1,600 crore to ATC Telecom Infra

The fresh approval was necessitated as the nod granted by the shareholders had lapsed

USO payments should be suspended till existing funds exhausted: COAI

Reduction of license fee to 1 %, lower customs duties, and a clearer definition of Gross revenue among key industry demands submitted in budget recommendations

Best of BS Opinion: Capex push in states, Crisis in the Himalayas, and more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Mobile calls may turn pricey, providers likely to hike 4G rates: Report

Inability to pay vendors and invest in business could hurt its operations, especially its ability to retain high ARPU postpaid customers, the report said

Govt issues rules to make entities pay for causing damage to telecom infra

The government has notified new rules to make entities pay for damages that they may cause by digging or excavating to telecom infrastructure like optical fibre network and mobile towers, according to an official statement issued on Friday. According to official estimates, due to digging or excavation activities undertaken by various entities, there are nearly 10 lakh optical fibre cuts (OFC) every year that cause an economic loss of approximately Rs 3,000 crore per annum. The Department of Telecom expects that the Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules 2022 was notified on January 3 will be able to curb damages caused to the telecom infrastructure and inconvenience caused to citizens because of frequent breakdown of communication services. "Many utilities can be saved from unwanted cuts and wasteful costs towards restoration, thus saving thousands of crores for businesses and associated tax loss to the government," the statement said. The rule mandates that any person or .

BSNL aims to introduce 4G network in 45,180 villages across India

With its planned 4G services launch, public sector firm targets rural market spanning 7% of all villages

Mixed bag of job opportunities await aspirants in 2023; skills in spotlight

A mixed bag of opportunities is likely to greet job aspirants in the New Year as telecom and services-oriented sectors are anticipated to accelerate hiring after recent gloomy months of pink slips in the technology segment amid global economic turmoil. Short-term opportunities will be on the rise and companies will focus on building a work-life integrated culture, nurturing niche talent, enhancing skills and providing flexible work arrangements, experts opined. Experts also said one of the major recruitment trends of 2023 is expected to be companies looking to boost internal mobility of talent. After 2022, especially the second half, resonated with reports of mass layoffs and hiring freeze amid the pandemic-related business disruptions, experts said it is not going to be all gloom and doom in 2023. According to staffing firms and job portals, it will be a mixed bag for the Indian job market next year. Amid subdued tech hiring, some of the non-tech hiring, especially in telecom and

USOF successor to focus on indigenising tech, hiring global bandwidth

Govt plans to include fund in upcoming telecom Bill despite telcos' opposition, officials said

Top Headlines: Tax levy on SUVs, tighter service norms for telcos, and more

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

Airtel World Pass international plans for prepaid, postpaid users announced

The Airtel World Pass international roaming plans offer significantly higher value in terms of data and voice benefits, Airtel said in a statement

Vodafone CEO Nick Read to step down from the post by end of month

The mobile group's chief financial officer Margherita Della Valle will take over as interim group chief executive, Vodafone said

Vi in talks with SBI for loan of Rs 15K-16K crore for capex needs: Report

The talks have reportedly been going on for over a month now and SBI is waiting to get clarity on the govt's potential shareholding in Vi

Telcos to stop 5G services in high-frequency bands in and around airports

Telecom operators will need to shut down 5G services in high-frequency bands in and around airports following restrictions imposed by the Department of Telecom at the request of the civil aviation ministry, according to sources. Based on buffer and safety zone details provided by the aviation ministry, the DoT has asked telecom operators to not install 5G base stations in the 3.3-3.6 Ghz band in the area of 2.1 kilometres from both ends of the runway and 910 meters from the centre line of the runway of Indian airports with immediate effect. "Telecom operators will need to shut down 5G service in the 3.3-3.6 Ghz band only in and around airports based on the order. It is a temporary restriction. The services can be restored after DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) ensures that altimeters at all aircraft have been replaced. DGCA has not shared any timeline for completing the replacement exercise," a source told PTI. Airtel is the only telecom operator that has installed 5G ..

NCLT dismisses bankruptcy proceedings against GTL Infra, GTL Ltd

The court said several companies owe GTL Infrastructure money as it has made claims of Rs 13,393 crore against Aircel and others