Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) the regulatory body seeks to ensure Quality Of Service (QOS) across telecom operators in the country. On 6 January 2012 it outlined several guidelines via Directive no. 308-5/2011-QOS dubbed as TELECOM CONSUMERS PROTECTION REGULATIONS 2012, as earlier we shared on TelecomTalk. On 21 March 2012 these directives need to be implemented starting today.
BSNL will be the first telecom operator which has already announced the implementation of all new guidelines for its prepaid 2G and 3G Mobile service and all other operators will also follow the same.
Following are the benefits the new guidelines bring to consumers:
Simplicity & standardization of tariff vouchers across operators.
Transparency for Value Added Services activated on the account.
Information on premium rate VAS.
Changes which would be ‘seen’ by consumers from now onwards:
New Start Up Kit:
Will contain only the SIM with no rate plan attached (no confusion of tariffs for the customer).
New Vouchers :
Only 3 voucher types will exist (Plan Voucher, Top-up, STV) Read more…
The telecom market of India is still on the phase of expansion and attractive to operators, passive infrastructure providers, equipment vendors, OEMs and other related industries. Telecom industry today has become as important to the economy as another basic need for people.Few operators and manufactures have come forward and shared the post budget reaction and we have summed it up.
Vsevolod Rozanov, President and CEO MTS India
Vsevolod Rozanov, President and CEO of Sistema Shyam Teleservices which operates in the country under brand name of MTS India has expressed his views on the recent Union Budget he cites that “While many systemic elements have been set right in the 2012-13 Union budget, however the telecom industry continues to face numerous challenges. Increase in service tax from 10% to 12% would increase cost of ownership of a mobile phone. This becomes all the more significant for CDMA based mobile services which to a large extent services the telecom needs of customers who are at the bottom of the pyramid.
From a global perspective, the telecom industry in India continues to attract the Read more…
Following the Supreme Court’s verdict to cancel 122 2G mobile licenses, Indian telecom market is going through jeopardy. STel and Cheers already shut down their services and asked their customers to opt for other operators via MNP; while Loop is ready to return the spectrum of 21 licenses.
And those are partially hit – Idea Cellular and Tata Tele filed a review petition on the ground that they applied a long before; Videocon is continuing its services as they are commercially available in few circles.
But the game is tricky for Uninor and MTS India who already invested a lot in the market and this judgement hit them worse than any operator. Foreign investers of MTS India – Sistema JSFC seeks their right via Bilateral Investment Treaty, which appears to be a strong case favoring Sistema.
In this situation Uninor is in critical condition. They planned to break even within 2013-2014 and this judgement hit them at a crucial time. Telenor, the majority foreign Read more…
So mobile bubble bursts in India! With Supreme Court’s verdict regarding cancellation of 122 licenses for 2G mobile services given in 2008 by the-then Telecom Minister A. Raja, Indian telecom sector will see worst nightmare in coming days while incumbent operators will have their position stronger than ever in last 4 years.
Supreme Court comments that 2G spectrum in 2008 was given away in a “totally arbitrary and unconstitutional” manner. SC also imposed penalty of 5 Cr to Etisalat-DB, Unitech Wireless and Tatas and Rs 50 lakh to Loop and Shyam-Sistema respectively. Read more…
Huawei’s Own branded Data cards & WiFi Router
Huawei has been geared up to capture Indian device market. I use ‘device’ as they already launched a tablet, two Cloud based Android powered smartphones and a feature phone in November 2011.
Huawei has an eminent presence in the field of CDMA handsets, 3G & EVDO data cards, but mostly the devices are sold via operators. Now Huawei launches factory unlocked (operator agonist) 3G/HSPA data card and a pocket WiFi router at Rs 1800-1900 and Rs 5000 around respectively.
Though I like that Huawei atlast come to open market, which is crowded with Micromax, Lava, ZTE (under Beetel branding) & others but at this price Huawei open market devices can not attract me. Operator locked devices of same specs are available in Read more…
It is clear that axis of (evil) Bharti Airtel, Vodafone & Idea Cellular is pushing hard Govt & DoT to make the 3G roaming legal as it is a part of bigger heist planned by them. Currently they not only offer 3G services to roaming customers in non-3G circles, they also offers commercial 3G services to home users in non-3G circles with this ICR agreement.
It is nothing other than 4G roll out which sparked the whole thing, on 4G-LTE turf only Mukesh Ambani owned Infotel Broadband has pan India 4G BWA spectrum, while Airtel has only 4 circles for 4G roll out, Vodafone & Idea Cellular do not own a single one.
If 3G roaming via ICRA in non-3G circles is made legal, they will join hands with other 4G-BWA players (Aircel, Tikona, Qualcomm, and Augere) to offer nationwide 4G services without paying single penny.
Our Govt is as usual late to understand the situation! But late but not least, DoT asks them to stop ICRA within 24 hours, while accused operators are still trying to prove Read more…
