Archive for December, 2010
Airtel Raises GPRS / EDGE Internet Tariffs
Bharti Airtel has announced sharp increase in GPRS/WAP tariffs – browsing through its mobile office service (GPRS/EDGE) will be charged at 30p/20KB w.e.f. Jan 5, 2011 versus 30p/50KB earlier (effectively a 150% hike), while browsing on its Live WAP portal will be charged at 30p/20KB w.e.f. Dec 28, 2010 versus free of charge earlier. Browsing on its Live WAP portal will be charged at 30p/20KB w.e.f. Dec 28, 2010 versus free of charge earlier.
However, the good news is that pricing of data packs (2 GB at Rs66- 98 for a month) remains unchanged [BroadbandIndia recommends users to go with this Read the rest of this entry »
Loop + Etisalat + Videocon – Miserable Rollout Failure
The potentially fully corrupt DoT issued show cause notices to new operators (Uninor, Loop, Etisalat, Videocon, S-Tel and Allianz Infratech – now merged with Etisalat) which are alleged to have suppressed information to get licenses and have also failed to roll out services as mandated. All these operators are alleged to have violated the requirement of including Telecom Sector in their Memorandum of Association/Articles of Association and also some of the operators did not have the requisite paid up capital (Category A circles – Rs 100mn, Category B circles – Rs 50mn and Category C circles – Rs 30m).
In our estimate the total obligation on the new telecom operators for 2G Wireless Licenses as on date to the Government is as follows, Read the rest of this entry »
Cell Phone Subscriber Numbers – Truth Unveiled
After listening to Nira Radia and Ratan Tata’s conversation where Ms Radia explains to Tata about Airtel alleging that Anil Ambani is forging subscriber numbers to amass spectrum. The TRAI woke up and conducted an audit of Active / Real Wireless Cell Phone Users across India and the findings have taken everybody by surprise.
The active wireless user base in India (477m) is 70% of the actual reported subs base (682m). Here is the real perecentage of Active Subscriber base for each operator,
- Bharti Airtel (89%)
- Idea (incl.Spice, 88%),
- Vodafone (75%),
2G Spectrum Scam – Takeways from CAG report
Here are the Key Takeaways from the 2G Spectrum Scam led by A. Raja under the Prime Ministership of Dr. Manmohan Singh. The office of CAG has done a commendable job by bringing to light the following,
The report’s findings indicate there were gaps in policy implementation by DoT in issuing licences, DoT did not consult the High Powered Telecom Commission at the time of granting 122 UAS licences in 2008 and overruled/ignored the advice/suggestions/views/ concerns of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Law and Justice and the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
As per the report, DoT also made arbitrary changes in the cut-off date for application in 2007, did not follow its own Read the rest of this entry »
