Good news for the waiting buddies...
The department of telecommunication has decided to release details of bids for the 3G spectrum. According to the news published in Economic Times a detailed information memorandum will be published which will carry all the necessary details of the bid.
The DOT has also said that global operators not operating in India who wish to bid for the spectrum can do so provided they acquire the unified access service license (UASL). The reserve price for UASL is Rs.1658 crore. Together with the reserve price of Rs. 3500 crore this may cause some of the operators to refrain from the bid process.
For a detailed report click here
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
BSNL 3G in Sikkim
Good news for Sikkim. BSNL has launched its 3G services in the state.
In its attempt to proliferate the third generation mobile services in the country BSNL has added one more state to the elite list. People of Sikkim can now use the technology to keep themselves connected to the world all the time.
The 3G service has been extended to all four district headquarters Gangtok (East Sikkim), Namchi (South Sikkim), Mangan (North Sikkim) and Geyzing (West Sikkim) with immediate effect following the official launch, BSNL General Manager (Mobile), West Ben gal telecom circle Mr Amit Bhattacharjee, told reporters here.
In its attempt to proliferate the third generation mobile services in the country BSNL has added one more state to the elite list. People of Sikkim can now use the technology to keep themselves connected to the world all the time.
The 3G service has been extended to all four district headquarters Gangtok (East Sikkim), Namchi (South Sikkim), Mangan (North Sikkim) and Geyzing (West Sikkim) with immediate effect following the official launch, BSNL General Manager (Mobile), West Ben gal telecom circle Mr Amit Bhattacharjee, told reporters here.
The BSNL customers can watch the news and entertainment programmes from a host of cable channels with videographic description of the surroundings from where the contacts have been made, he said.
Adequate infrastructure has been laid down for providing quality service to the 3G customers in Sikkim, but some constraints did remain at a few places on the highways where it would be difficult for the customers to use video contact and their availability on the audio remains all the time, Mr Bhattacharjee said.
MTNL to improve 3G services
India-based state-owned telecom services provider Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) and Qualcomm Inc. have partnered on a technical audit of MTNL's 3G network aimed at enabling superior 3G services experience.
MTNL will work with Qualcomm's Engineering Services Group (ESG), a part of Qualcomm Corporate Engineering Services. MTNL is the country's first 3G operator with commercial networks in Delhi and Mumbai. ESG, which provides engineering services expertise to 3G operators worldwide, will engage with MTNL to assess and recommend modifications in their UMTS network design and dimensioning pursuant to performance audit services. The aim is to enable MTNL to enhance overall network performance, increase network capacity and help deliver superior service quality to the end consumer.
"We were keen on partnering with a vendor-independent and trusted consultant to add value to our 3G network by carrying out a technical audit of the same," said RSP Sinha, chairman and managing director of MTNL. "ESG, with their deep technical expertise and global 3G consulting experience, fit the bill perfectly and we are extremely pleased to have partnered with Qualcomm for this activity."
"As enablers of 3G technology and solutions, we are proud to collaborate with MTNL for the auditing of their 3G networks," said Kanwalinder Singh, senior VP of Qualcomm and president, Qualcomm India and South Asia. "This cooperation will enable MTNL to deliver a superior user experience. This is the first 3G UMTS network audit services engagement in India for Qualcomm's ESG and we will leverage our scale, expertise and experience to provide consulting services to MTNL. We are committed to supporting all our operator partners on their technology roadmap evolution."
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
3G Auctions in December!!!
Its almost official- the auctioning of 3G spectrum for private telecom companies in India will take place on the 7th of December (fingers crossed).
The department of telecom after several discussions has come out with a tentative date for the much awaited auctioning. Let's hope this time the department holds on to its promise.
Of the 20MHz spectrum on sale there will be four blocks of spectrum for each circle. This coupled with high reserve price for the license has kept many of the companies away from the auctioning. US major AT&T which was the earliest to show interest in providing 3G services in India is very unlikely to participate because of the mammoth Rs.3000 crore reserve price that the company will have to pay in order to start the services.
Other private players on the other hand are happy enough to see a final date. Companies like Airtel, Vodafone and Idea will fight hard to get a block of the spectrum. The winners will have to pay their bid deposit amounts within five days of the closure of the auction and pay the balance after 15 days.
Government has also decided to hold a mock auction on 3rd and 4th October. The private players will be required to start the services before Deepawali next year.
BSNL and MTNL on the other hand continue to enjoy the head start. They will have to match the highest bid after the completion of the auctioning.
The department of telecom after several discussions has come out with a tentative date for the much awaited auctioning. Let's hope this time the department holds on to its promise.
Of the 20MHz spectrum on sale there will be four blocks of spectrum for each circle. This coupled with high reserve price for the license has kept many of the companies away from the auctioning. US major AT&T which was the earliest to show interest in providing 3G services in India is very unlikely to participate because of the mammoth Rs.3000 crore reserve price that the company will have to pay in order to start the services.
Other private players on the other hand are happy enough to see a final date. Companies like Airtel, Vodafone and Idea will fight hard to get a block of the spectrum. The winners will have to pay their bid deposit amounts within five days of the closure of the auction and pay the balance after 15 days.
Government has also decided to hold a mock auction on 3rd and 4th October. The private players will be required to start the services before Deepawali next year.
BSNL and MTNL on the other hand continue to enjoy the head start. They will have to match the highest bid after the completion of the auctioning.
Monday, September 14, 2009
3G Services in India - A brief review
With the advent of 3G technology in India the country has inched closer to being a developed nation, for a nation's development is gauged by its technical superiority. Adding another feather to the already blooming Indian telecom industry the 3G technology has provided Indian customers what could be the start of an all new era in mobile phone usage. Apart from the clarity of voice, less call dropping, fewer cross connections etc. that 3G offers the biggest advantage will be evident in the data communication. For those who are always on the move and want to be connected to the world all the time, 3G will prove to be a boon. With speeds upto 3.6 Mbps ( max download speed 460 KBps) the technology can help one surf the net, download videos, songs etc and carry much more activities that require high speed internet access.
It was a long struggle before the technology could make its mark here. Several government departments and tribunals getting involved and making the process of 3G auction all the more difficult. Coupled with the world's greatest economic depression it seemed as if one would have to wait near about one more year to get hands on the service. However the Indian government decided to allot one slot each to BSNL and MTNL to start services in the country. In return the two government run organizations will have to match the highest bid when auctions are held later this year.
BSNL and MTNL both have started services in their respective regions with BSNL starting its services in northern states only and MTNL in NCR region. It is constantly adding up more and more states and cities and plans to extend the service in 1000 cities by November end.
The services offered include
1. Video Call
2. Tethering (Using net on laptop via mobile)
3. Live TV and few others.
For a detailed tarrif and service view- visit the following websites
www.bsnl.co.in
www.bol.net.in
It was a long struggle before the technology could make its mark here. Several government departments and tribunals getting involved and making the process of 3G auction all the more difficult. Coupled with the world's greatest economic depression it seemed as if one would have to wait near about one more year to get hands on the service. However the Indian government decided to allot one slot each to BSNL and MTNL to start services in the country. In return the two government run organizations will have to match the highest bid when auctions are held later this year.
BSNL and MTNL both have started services in their respective regions with BSNL starting its services in northern states only and MTNL in NCR region. It is constantly adding up more and more states and cities and plans to extend the service in 1000 cities by November end.
The services offered include
1. Video Call
2. Tethering (Using net on laptop via mobile)
3. Live TV and few others.
For a detailed tarrif and service view- visit the following websites
www.bsnl.co.in
www.bol.net.in
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