Telecom

Delayed BSNL equity infusion, sluggish state transfers drag capex momentum

Transfers to states from Centre are down 20 per cent compared to last year in the April-October FY25 period

India may become global leader in 5G fixed wireless access market by 2027

Country expected to expand its subscriber base to over 30 million

ITU to prioritise global standards on DPI and AI after India push

The World Telecom Standardization Assembly in Delhi adopted resolutions across new tech areas

Telcos warn on OTP disruptions as Trai's new traceability rules begin Nov 1

Trai's new mandate, set to take effect on November 1, would require traceability of messages sent by principal entities, including banks, e-commerce platforms, and financial institutions

IMC 2024: Satcom takes centre stage as Sunil Mittal says 'buy spectrum'

No auction of satellite spectrum: Telecom minister

India set to lead 6G revolution; our telecom sector aggressive: Scindia

India is resolved to lead the world in 6G, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday, terming the telecom sector of the country as 'aggressive' and 'ambitious'. Scindia, speaking at the inauguration of India Mobile Congress and World Telecommunication Standardization (WTSA) 2024, said with the Bharat 6G Alliance, India hopes to contribute at least 10 per cent patents to 6G standardisation. "It is our belief and our commitment -- India followed the world in 4G, we marched with the world in 5G, but we shall lead the world in 6G," the minister asserted. With the fastest 5G rollout in India wherein 98 per cent of districts and 90 per cent of all villages were covered in a span of just 21 months, Scindia said it is the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's effort of not just embracing, but bracing the country to become the first-mover in 6G technology. "It is noteworthy that the Indian Mobile Congress and the International 6G Symposium demonstrates both local and global ...

Majority of 5G network users experience reduction in call drop: Survey

More than half of respondents who have migrated to the 5G network have experienced a reduction in call drops and an improvement in data speed, online survey firm LocalCircles said in a report on Monday. According to the survey, 53 per cent of smartphone users surveyed say the call drop or connect situation has improved after migrating from 3G and 4G to 5G services. Around 30 per cent of respondents shared that there has been no improvement in the call drop rate, 9 per cent complained that it has somewhat deteriorated, and 5 per cent shared that the call drop problem has "significantly deteriorated" in the survey. LocalCircles claims that the survey received a total of over 47,000 responses from consumers (smartphone users) located in 361 districts, while the number of responses to each question varied. The survey conducted between August 5, 2024, and October 10, 2024, found that 60 per cent of smartphone users surveyed who have migrated to 5G say the data connection is faster compa

Reliance Jio seeks govt intervention for fair spectrum allocation

How spectrum for satellite services in India will be given out has been a contentious issue since last year

Telecom service authorisation regime should retain contractual nature: COAI

Telcos also complain about AGR calculations, exclusion of OTTs in new regime

BSNL adds 2.9 mn users after telecom rivals hiked tariffs in July

State-owned telecom company was the only one in industry not to raise tariff

Nokia signs deal with AT&T after losing network contract to Ericsson

Nokia said the fibre deal with AT&T is "Build America, Buy America-compliant", to meet the requirements of U.S. government funding

Jio now world's largest data company, carries 8% of global traffic: Ambani

JioAirFiber, the company's 5G-based home Wi-Fi service launched in October last year, acquired 1 million customers in the first six months, and the next 1 million in succeeding 100 days, Ambani said

Trai urges telcos to control misuse of message headers, content templates

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday hardened its stance on pesky telemarketers, as it directed telcos to take specific measures to curb misuse of messaging services and protect consumers from fraudulent practices. Continuing its offensive against unsolicited spam calls and messages, TRAI made it clear that from September 1, 2024, all access service providers will be prohibited from transmitting messages containing URLs, OTT links, or call back numbers which are not 'whitelisted' (authorised) by the senders. To enhance message traceability, TRAI has mandated that the trail of all messages from senders to recipients must be traceable from November 1, 2024. Any message with an undefined or mismatched telemarketer chain will be rejected. The latest move assumes significance as TRAI has cracked the whip on unauthorised telemarketers indulging in promotional calls and messages to telecom subscribers. Last week, TRAI directed telcos to disconnect all telecom resourc

Airtel begins re-farming mid-band spectrum to meet growth in 5G traffic

Ready to begin 5G services through Standalone technology, telco says

Centre to pay MTNL's bond interest by Wednesday, says DoT officials

With this date having been passed, the government now has to step in and deposit the necessary funds in the designated trust and retention account at least three days before the due date

Telecom dept invites proposals on 'Quantum Standardisation, Testing Labs'

The Department of Telecom has invited research proposals on 'Quantum Standardisation and Testing Labs' from Indian academic institutions or research and development institutions, an official release said on Sunday. The goal is to drive research and development in quantum technologies, ensuring the interoperability, reliability, and security of quantum communication systems. These labs will serve as innovation hubs, uniting quantum technology developers, testing equipment manufacturers, and academic researchers to explore and harness the full potential of quantum technologies for the benefit of all citizens. "The initiative aligns with the Prime Minister's vision for 'Jai Anushandhan', aiming to support research and development in telecom products and technologies that directly enhance the lives of Indian citizens," the release said. It underlines efforts towards making India self-reliant in quantum technologies and setting global benchmarks in this cutting-edge field. "The effort

New telecom law to come into effect from June 26: What are the changes?

The Telecommunications Act of 2023 was approved by both Houses during the Winter Session in December last year and received presidential assent in the same month

Telecom subscriber base crosses 1.2 billion mark in April; Jio tops chart

The telecom subscriber base in the country has crossed the 1.2 billion user mark for the second time, with Reliance Jio leading the chart in terms of new additions and the total customer base, according to a sector regulator Trai's report. According to Trai's monthly subscriber report, the total telecom subscriber base increased by 0.16 per cent to 1,201.22 million at the end of April from 1,199.28 million in March 2024. The total subscriber base crossed the 1.2 billion mark in May 2017, and touched a record of 1.21 billion in July 2017. Wireless subscribers continue to dominate the total subscriber base, with 1,165.49 million during the reported month. Reliance Jio led the growth in the wireless segment by adding 2.68 million net new subscribers, taking its total customer base to 472.42 million. It was followed by Bharti Airtel, which added 752 thousand customers, thereby its subscriber base growing to 267.57 million in April 2024. The huge loss of 1.23 million subscribers by ...

Indus Towers Q4 results: PAT rises 32% to Rs 1,853 cr, revenue up 6.5%

Telecom infrastructure company Indus Towers on Tuesday reported around a 32 per cent jump in its consolidated net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 2024. It had registered a net profit of Rs 1,399.1 crore a year ago, as per the company's regulatory filing. The company's consolidated revenue from operations grew 6.5 per cent to Rs 7,193.2 crore during the reported quarter against Rs 6,752.9 crore in the March 2023 quarter. For the year ended March 31, 2024, Indus Towers posted close to a three-fold jump in consolidated profit to Rs 6,036.2 crore from Rs 2,040 crore at the end of the financial year (FY) 2023. The annual revenue from operations of Indus Towers remained almost flat at Rs 28,600.6 crore during the reported fiscal compared to Rs 28,381.8 crore in FY23. "The network expansion by a major customer and increase in our market share helped us deliver record tower additions, surpassing the milestone of 2,00,000 towers. On the financial front, we were pleased to see ste

Porting requests at 8-month low; Voda biggest loser among major providers

In Feb 2024, subscribers made nearly 12 mn portability requests, lowest since June 2023