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| Govt
strikes down BSNL request for Delhi, Mumbai licence |
| NEW DELHI, JULY
14 (PTI) Government has struck down
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's request for licence to operate in Mumbai and Delhi circles.
"BSNL had sought licence for entering
Delhi and Mumbai and the request has not been agreed to", Minister of State for
Communications and IT Shakeel Ahmed told Lok Sabha today in a written reply.
News Courtesy : Outlook
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Govt may buy back MTNL shares
to pave way for merger with BSNL |
| NEW DELLHI, JUN 24 (PTI) Government is cosidering buying back MTNL's shares from the market as one
of the options to pave the way for its merger with another telecom PSU, BSNL, which is not
listed on the bourses. This was discussed during a recent meeting chaired by the
Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran along with two other options like creating a
holding company for both the PSUs or offloading about five per cent of BSNL's equity in
the market, official sources said.
Buying back of MTNL's shares from the
market means that Government would have to delist from the bourses to make it a 100 per
cent subsidiary of Government like BSNL. By making MTNL a 100 per cent Government
subsidiary the Government may be trying to remove the legal hurdles that may arise as a
result of merger of a listed company MTNL with the unlisted BSNL. This was just one of the
options being discussed, sources said adding, that no banker or advisor had so far been
appointed to look into the pros and cons as well as methodology of the merger
between MTNL and BSNL. Everything is being discussed internally within the departments. If
this materialises, sources said, government may have to shell out more money to buy
back MTNL's shares as the share price may move upwards. The other two options were also
being considered especially offloading five per cent of BSNL's equity in the market to
know the valuation of BSNL.
News Courtesy : Outlook
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TRAI chief dismisses Reliance's
protest on broadband |
| NEW DELHI, MAY 26 (PTI) Telecom Regulatory Authority Chairman Pradip Baijal today dismissed as
"nothing exceptional" the protest by Reliance Infocomm against the regulator's
recommendations to allow DTH and VSAT operators to offer broadband services. "This
kind of protest is nothing exceptional," Baijal told PTI when asked about the reports
quoting Reliance spokesperson alleging that TRAI had played into the hands of DTH
operators like Tatas in policy suggestions. Reiterating TRAI's commitment to promote
competition in the larger interest of consumers, Baijal said "during the course of
regulation, interests of many industrial houses get affected and they protest against
regulation. "It had happened in the WLL issue when cellular company Bharti protested
or Tatas' opposition in the case of international private leased circuits (to provide
bandwidth)," he added. A Reliance Infocomm spokesperson was today quoted in news
reports as saying that the regulator had played into the hands of DTH operators and had
recommended policies which were totally loaded in favour of DTH and VSAT operators.
"Some of the concessions are even tantamount to encroachment upon the national long
distance service providers who had paid huge licence fees. This will definitely disturb
the present level playing field," the Reliance spokeserson was quoted. When contacted
by PTI, the Reliance Infocomm spokesperson said from Mumbai on phone that the company had
not written anything to TRAI and they were not against any technology in broadband
operations. Recognising broadband as the next telecom revolution, TRAI had said last month
that prices of high-speed internet of 256 kbps should be brought down to about Rs 400 per
month from the existing Rs 1,600 and suggested entry of DTH and other players for
competition in broadband services.
News Courtesy : Outlook
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MTNL, BSNL not to be privatised |
| NEW DELHI, MAY 26 (PTI) The Government today announced that the telecom policy would be revamped
soon to give more economic service to consumers and said no to privatisation of
profit-making MTNL and BSNL even as new Telecom and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran outlined a
10-point agenda to make India a global IT power. Within minutes of assuming office, Maran,
flanked by his junior Shakeel Ahmad, committed to more public investment in the sector
while promising "increased competition" to counter pressures from industrial
houses. "No. MTNL is off, I repeat, off the privatisation list," Maran said
adding that even BSNL would not be privatised.
News Courtesy : Outlook
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| Bharti
to acquire Shyam's 67.5% stake in Hexacom for Rs 430 cr |
| NEW DELHI, APR 5 (PTI) Bharti announced today it would acquire majority
stake in Hexacom, a cellular operator in Rajasthan, in a cash-cum-share swap deal of Rs
430 crore, as part of its initiative to expand.
News Courtesy : Outlook
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MTNL simplifies commercial
procedures |
MUMBAI, APR 4 (PTI)
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has rolled out an array of additional
customer-friendly initiatives, which include simplification of commercial rules and
procedures and waiving of dynamic lock resetting facility charges. The company would
provide "free" application forms for STD public call offices and would not ask
for an affidavit for proof of residence before providing a connection. The telephony major
has also made dynamic lock resetting facility "free", which was earlier charged
at Rs 50 per user. The telecom major had earlier reduced its installation charges for new
telephone connections to Rs 500 from Rs 800, effective April one.
News Courtesy : Outlook
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