1. Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, Milind Deora, informed the Indian Parliament that the number of Base Transmitting Stations (BTS) functioning through mobile towers in the country as on date are 680,465.
“Mobiles towers and BTSs are being installed by the telecom service providers as per availability of users, spectrum and radio frequency planning. This is an ongoing process. As on 30.09.2011, there are 6,80,465 functioning BTS catering to the mobile subscribers. Telecom service providers, including BSNL and MTNL, are augmenting their mobile network progressively so as to enhance coverage, capacity and to further improve the quality of service,” Deora informed in a reply to a question.
2. A report by India’s telecom regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), states that the combined earned revenue of the country’s telecom operators was $9.6 billion at the end of Q2 (September 2011). The report further reveals that Bharti Airtel has left behind BSNL in terms of market revenue share. It also reveals that Airtel earned $2.54 billion, BSNL $1.73 billion, and Vodafone $1.71 billion.
3. One of India leading telecom, Vodafone, was directed by the country’s Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to deposit 50% of the $9.6 million penalty imposed by the government. The penalty was imposed for violating license conditions with regard to issuance of SIM cards in bulk to Matrix Cellular Services Pvt. Ltd. The tribunal, earlier, had also directed Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular to deposit the same amount for issuing SIM cards in bulk.
4. The tussle between India’s Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Defence Ministry over the release of additional bandwidth post auctioning of the 2G and 3G licenses is still on. According to news reports, “the current arrangement is that both defence and the telecom ministry will share 150 MHz in the 1700-2000 MHz band.”
The Telecom Ministry’s wants 230 Mhz in the hinterland and 150 Mhz in the border areas to be released but the matter will be resolved after the Empowered Group of Ministers take a decision on the matter.
5. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet recently approved the appointment of N Ravi Shankar as Administrator of Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), which falls under the Department of Telecom (DoT).
