Idea launches BlackBerry services
Business Standard June 5, 2009
Telecom operator Idea Cellular has launched a range of BlackBerry smart phones and services on its network in Punjab. With this, nearly 2.5 million Idea subscriber in the state can now avail themselves of the service. The BlackBerry solution offers wireless access to office email, web mails, phone, calendar and other web and multimedia applications among others.
Telecom operator Idea Cellular has launched a range of BlackBerry smart phones and services on its network in Punjab. With this, nearly 2.5 million Idea subscriber in the state can now avail themselves of the service. The BlackBerry solution offers wireless access to office email, web mails, phone, calendar and other web and multimedia applications among others.
TRAI plans online consumer grievance redress mechanismBusiness Line , June 4 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is working on an online consumer grievance redress platform that will enable subscribers to lodge their complaints against any service provider through the Internet or an SMS. The platform will automatically direct the grievance to the particular service provider after which the regulator will set a time for resolution of the problem. Speaking to Business Line, the new TRAI Chairman , Mr J. S. Sarma, said, “The regulator needs to be seen as being effective in addressing consumer-related issues. As of now, there seems to be no real platform where consumers can voice their grievances and be assured of redress. We are looking at setting up an online mechanism that will make it easier for subscribers to get their problems addressed. This will also allow us to keep us track of the status of the grievances.”
Before taking charge at TRAI, Mr Sarma was Chairman of the Telecom Commission and then a Member of the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Quality of services
Mr Sarma said that improving quality of services is on the agenda. “We are exploring the option of putting out the results of our quality of services survey in the form of advertisements in newspapers so that consumers are aware. This will certainly have an impact and in the competitive environment, the operators will try to improve. We are exploring this idea.”
The new TRAI chief said that his primary objective would be to make regulations conducive for sustained growth in the telecom sector. “There are various surveys that project that mobile subscriber base will continue to grow and there are others which say that the growth story is going to stagnate. I want to focus on making sure that there is no ambiguity on this issue and make sure that the growth story continues,” Mr Sarma said.
Before taking charge at TRAI, Mr Sarma was Chairman of the Telecom Commission and then a Member of the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Quality of services
Mr Sarma said that improving quality of services is on the agenda. “We are exploring the option of putting out the results of our quality of services survey in the form of advertisements in newspapers so that consumers are aware. This will certainly have an impact and in the competitive environment, the operators will try to improve. We are exploring this idea.”
The new TRAI chief said that his primary objective would be to make regulations conducive for sustained growth in the telecom sector. “There are various surveys that project that mobile subscriber base will continue to grow and there are others which say that the growth story is going to stagnate. I want to focus on making sure that there is no ambiguity on this issue and make sure that the growth story continues,” Mr Sarma said.
Indus Towers gets new CEOBusiness Line, June 4
Indus Towers Ltd, mobile tower company, announced the appointment of Mr B.S. Shantharaju as the new Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this assignment, Mr Shantharaju worked with Delhi International Airports (P) Ltd as the Chief Executive Officer after the airport was privatised. Mr Shantharaju will take over from Mr Stefan Langkamp, who is moving back to his parent company Vodafone to take up his next assignment.
Indus Towers Ltd, mobile tower company, announced the appointment of Mr B.S. Shantharaju as the new Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this assignment, Mr Shantharaju worked with Delhi International Airports (P) Ltd as the Chief Executive Officer after the airport was privatised. Mr Shantharaju will take over from Mr Stefan Langkamp, who is moving back to his parent company Vodafone to take up his next assignment.
SSTL hopes to break even in 3 years: Dy CEOET 4 Jun 2009
NEW DELHI: The government plans to connect every panchayat to a broadband network in the next three years and increase phone usage in rural India four-fold in five years, so that two out of every five villagers own phones, President Pratibha Patil told Parliament on Thursday. The measures will be part the Bharat Nirman programme for improving infrastructure in villages. As of April end, rural India, which houses more than two-thirds of India’s population, had less than one-third of the country’s 430 million telephone connections. The plans to improve rural connectivity will most certainly result in increased allocation from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) for setting up telecom infrastructure in interior India. Since 2002, all telecom operators have been paying 5% of their annual revenues towards this fund and so far, the unutilised amount in this fund has crossed the Rs 25,000 crore. The communications ministry will soon invite bids for setting up over 7,000 telecom towers in rural areas with support from the USOF. The new government also plans to use a part of this fund for augmentation of the optic fibre cable network across the country to enhance broadband connectivity. Interestingly, India’s booming mobile phone industry is attracting more new users in rural areas.
India will get next 400 million mobile users five times fasterNew Delhi, June 3 It took 15 years for India to get 400 million mobile users, but under three years it will add the next 400 million. According to the revised estimates by the Cellular Operators Association of India, the mobile subscriber base is expected to zoom to 893 million by 2012. That is 150 million more subscribers than what was projected earlier. The COAI’s earlier estimates had put the mobile user base at 743 million by 2012.
The reason for the new optimism is derived from the huge uptake of mobile services in rural areas. Explains Mr T. V. Ramachandran, Director-General, COAI: “We have revised the projections because the rate at which infrastructure is growing is faster than what we had expected. Operators are moving into the hinterland and uncovered areas. Secondly, we are getting almost 50 per cent of our new additions from the rural areas. The third factor is that the level of competition has increased with new players in the sector which again leads to faster deployment of networks.”
According to Mr Atul Bindal, President, Mobility, Bharti Airtel, three out of five new subscribers are now coming from non-urban areas. “Indian growth story is here to stay. I will push back against any view that says to the contrary. There is still a huge untapped market in both rural and urban areas,” says Mr Bindal, who expects Airtel to get its next 100 million users in another two-three years.
India, with 400 million mobile users, is now the second largest market in the world after China which has over 650 million subscribers. According to COAI’s projection, there will be 1.24 billion mobile users in 2015 - which means one phone for every Indian.
GSM broadband users
Our Mumbai Bureau reports: India could have 100 million mobile broadband users on the GSM platform by 2014, if the 3G auctions happen during the current fiscal, according to the GSM Association. Overall broadband penetration in India is 4.7 per cent now.
3G investments would lead to economic benefit worth around $70 billion, Mr Jaikishan Rajaraman, senior director, GSMA, said at a press meet here on Wednesday.
The delay in the auction of 3G spectrum in the past two years has led to a huge loss of around $16 billion, according to a study by global consulting firm LECG Corp.
The losses include direct investments as well as those arising from missed opportunities.
“Cost of capital increases whenever you choose to defer investments,” said Mr Rajaraman.
NEW DELHI: The government plans to connect every panchayat to a broadband network in the next three years and increase phone usage in rural India four-fold in five years, so that two out of every five villagers own phones, President Pratibha Patil told Parliament on Thursday. The measures will be part the Bharat Nirman programme for improving infrastructure in villages. As of April end, rural India, which houses more than two-thirds of India’s population, had less than one-third of the country’s 430 million telephone connections. The plans to improve rural connectivity will most certainly result in increased allocation from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) for setting up telecom infrastructure in interior India. Since 2002, all telecom operators have been paying 5% of their annual revenues towards this fund and so far, the unutilised amount in this fund has crossed the Rs 25,000 crore. The communications ministry will soon invite bids for setting up over 7,000 telecom towers in rural areas with support from the USOF. The new government also plans to use a part of this fund for augmentation of the optic fibre cable network across the country to enhance broadband connectivity. Interestingly, India’s booming mobile phone industry is attracting more new users in rural areas.
India will get next 400 million mobile users five times fasterNew Delhi, June 3 It took 15 years for India to get 400 million mobile users, but under three years it will add the next 400 million. According to the revised estimates by the Cellular Operators Association of India, the mobile subscriber base is expected to zoom to 893 million by 2012. That is 150 million more subscribers than what was projected earlier. The COAI’s earlier estimates had put the mobile user base at 743 million by 2012.
The reason for the new optimism is derived from the huge uptake of mobile services in rural areas. Explains Mr T. V. Ramachandran, Director-General, COAI: “We have revised the projections because the rate at which infrastructure is growing is faster than what we had expected. Operators are moving into the hinterland and uncovered areas. Secondly, we are getting almost 50 per cent of our new additions from the rural areas. The third factor is that the level of competition has increased with new players in the sector which again leads to faster deployment of networks.”
According to Mr Atul Bindal, President, Mobility, Bharti Airtel, three out of five new subscribers are now coming from non-urban areas. “Indian growth story is here to stay. I will push back against any view that says to the contrary. There is still a huge untapped market in both rural and urban areas,” says Mr Bindal, who expects Airtel to get its next 100 million users in another two-three years.
India, with 400 million mobile users, is now the second largest market in the world after China which has over 650 million subscribers. According to COAI’s projection, there will be 1.24 billion mobile users in 2015 - which means one phone for every Indian.
GSM broadband users
Our Mumbai Bureau reports: India could have 100 million mobile broadband users on the GSM platform by 2014, if the 3G auctions happen during the current fiscal, according to the GSM Association. Overall broadband penetration in India is 4.7 per cent now.
3G investments would lead to economic benefit worth around $70 billion, Mr Jaikishan Rajaraman, senior director, GSMA, said at a press meet here on Wednesday.
The delay in the auction of 3G spectrum in the past two years has led to a huge loss of around $16 billion, according to a study by global consulting firm LECG Corp.
The losses include direct investments as well as those arising from missed opportunities.
“Cost of capital increases whenever you choose to defer investments,” said Mr Rajaraman.
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