The phone never stopped ringing in 2007

YEAR-END SPECIAL

January 24, 2007: Great start to the year! Consumers love us since the Trai's just slashed roaming charges by between a third and half for various categories. Editors calling to thank me (Yeah Vir, thanks! Just doing our job ...). [Sunil] Mittal called to say they'll be killed. Hypocrite. Panditji's [regulator Trai's chief Misra] letting him charge much more than cost and has, in any case, used old traffic data "� so good scope to slash more. Maran's still throwing tantrums "� says costs can be slashed. Have to contain him.

March 21, 2007: Maran thrilled, reduced ADC subsidy further, calls cheaper. Call Prannoy, fix interview. Raghav CNBC? Make talking points.

April 6, 2007: f***! Maran's wild. Arun Kumar is [the telecom tribunal chief] threatening action against Kalanidhi [the minister's brother] for not giving feed to TataSky. Can't even call the guy, he's a former Supreme Court judge!

April 9, 2007: Phew! Crisis over ... Kalanidhi-TataSky agreed to work it out. Maran looks less grouchy.

Reliance wants GSM spectrum now! Dump in Panditji's lap? What's minister's view?

April 13: Sent reference to Trai. Panditji can deal with Reliance now. Off my back for six to eight months. Check department progress Tata case.

April 19, 2007: Got secretariat to send notice to encash Tata Telecom bank guarantee on microwave dues.

April 20, 2007: Narrow escape on Tata case. Arun Kumar on offensive, luckily briefing to lawyer to gracefully withdraw worked. Must brief Cabinet Secretary before he grills me. Secretary called. Probably about this.

May 13, 2007: Maran is out! Good guy, shouldn't have messed with boss's family. Kanimozhi? Don't tell me she'll be the minister? NDTV called to confirm.

May 15, 2007: Environment minister Raja is the boss. Great. Pushover. Will take months to understand policy. Call Pradipto [environment secretary] to understand the man.

August 28, 2007: Love Panditji! He's left all big decisions to us ... understands ministry is supreme ... none of this regulatory superiority Justice Sodhi [the first Trai chief] had, thank god. Spoke to Raja with secretary. Don't have to auction spectrum ... Trai says charge 4th round fee (Rs 1,651 crore) or that discovered through auction ... but says we can decide. We can also decide on priority of processing applications ... minister said my suggestion of creating crossover spectrum [CDMA operators applying for GSM spectrum] as separate category was good. Will help empanelment for secretary-ship.

Got 146 applications for spectrum already! Reliance still sticking to animal names for companies ... Swan/Cheetah ... Dhirubhai had Crocodile!

September 25, 2007: 241 applications now! Even Shyam's applied "� with some Russian company (security angle?). Raja's announced Oct 1 deadline for applications. Expect huge rush. Garage sale, at Rs 1,651 crore "� price decided at time when just 4 million mobile subscribers ... do this much in three weeks now. Difficult to justify. Raja confident.

October 18, 2007: Reliance Communications pays licence fee. Will announce tomorrow!

October 19, 2007: COAI howling. Issued press release on dual use policy. Will go to court. 575 applications for spectrum! May be enough for one or two new people.

Arun Kumar may be upset with us for trying to foist Sinha [the BSNL chief] and Mathur [ the telecom secretary] at TDSAT. Chief Justice already rejected Sinha's name once. Raja is as pigheaded as Maran ... you can't pressure senior people.

October 23, 2007: COAI in TDSAT.

October 26, 2007: COAI crushed. TEC [telecom ministry's technical wing] ups subscriber criterion 3-4 times over Trai. Kiss your spectrum goodbye, Mittal.

November 11, 2007: Masterstroke by Raja. Number portability announced and 3G open to even new players "� huge pressure on cellular chaps. Aircell and Spice already opted out of TDSAT case.

November 14, 2007: COAI cracking. Business Standard reported COAI in favour of auction after opposing it all this time!

December 10, 2007: Mittal tries last-ditch effort, offers Rs 2,650 crore for spectrum. Won't work.

December 12, 2007: PM roots for auctions at Ficci. Stupid "� government can fall. Finance letter asking justification on using 2001 price. Mittal trying pressure but will break. Arun Kumar refuses stay!! Can issue licence now. Get Mathur [telecom secretary] to rebut finance "� want us to auction. What's their locus standi?

December 19, 2007: Setback. TDSAT-committee on spectrum divided. Says cannot decide subscriber criterion without detailed study "� can upset squeeze-GSM-spectrum plan. How did committee give this report? Anyway, Raja is firm.