Honest

Samsung eyes double-digit mkt share; to launch 4-5 models 4 Aug, 2008, 2105 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: Aiming for a double digit market share in the mobile segment during the current fiscal from its existing share of eight per cent, consumer electronics major Samsung India on Monday said it plans to launch 4-5 new models in the next three months. The company today introduced an 'ultra-slim' all touch-screen mobile phone - Samsung TouchWIZ - priced at Rs 20,990. "We aim to take our market share to a double digit figure this financial year. To achieve this target, the company is planning to launch 4-5 new mobile phones in India within the next three months," Samsung India Electronics Country Head (Mobile Business) Sunil Dutt told the media. In the country's estimated 80 lakh handset market of each month, Samsung's growth rate has also doubled over the last few years, he added. "Keeping in mind the vast section of mobile users, the new phones will be for all kinds of people, like mid-income groups as well as high-end societies," Dutt said. Elaborating on its latest launch 'Samsung TouchWIZ', he said the model has been launched coinciding with the Beijing Olympic Games and the entire communication campaign for the phone would be centered around the Olympics. The phone would have features like drag 'n' drop and auto smile shot to make it user friendly, he said. In terms of storage capacity, the phone is equipped with 240MB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 8GB.

Late fee for telcos who miss out in first 3G auction 4 Aug, 2008, 0737 hrs IST, ET Bureau NEW DELHI: Telcos who miss out on the first round of 3G auctions will have to pay a much higher price for these radio frequencies when they are auctioned at a later stage. The DoT has decided to hold a second round of auctions as soon as the defence vacate more spectrum, but the reserve price will not remain the same as that of the first round. Instead, the highest bid in the first round will become the reserve price for the 3G frequencies in the second round. For instance, cities such as Mumbai and Delhi are likely to have only one or atmost two operators who can be accommodated in the first round of auctions, which are set to take place by the year end. Currently, the base price for 3G spectrum in Delhi and Mumbai is Rs 160 crore. But, when the second round happens, the base price will be equivalent to the price that is paid by the highest bidder in Delhi and Mumbai. On Friday, communications and IT minister A Raja said that the government would try and accommodate up to five players in the first round, while adding that this could be extended to 10 at a later date. Telcos, who were successful in the first round, are expected to launch services by mid 2009. ET has learnt that the second round of auctions could be held as early as mid 2009 as Mr Raja has sought a time frame for vacation of spectrum from the defence forces. Government sources said that the DoT is talks with the defence forces to release about 15 MHz of 3G radio frequencies in the spectrum-starved circles so that an additional three operators can be accommodated. The circles where the second round of auctions will most likely be held include Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, UP (West), the North Eastern states and Rajasthan. At present, there are only eight circles where sufficient 3G spectrum has been identified to accommodate 10 players: Andhra Pradesh, Chennai & Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, MP and Orissa. The DoT is yet to spell out if it will hold auctions for up to 10 operators in these circles directly, or, if it will allow five players in the first phase, and, allot radio frequencies for more players when auctions are conducted in the other spectrum-starved circles.

^^^ @Abhish My dear friend, I think you should try in your city itself for someone you can trust on. Because, if their is any problem in the handset after you purchase then you could get support for after sales. Regards.

^^^ @Common Man My dear friend, actually I think that Coolpad 288 works only in one network at a time. By that I mean you have to switch between Gsm or Cdma each and everytime you have to make a call. And in Fly dual sim handsets, you must check if it works on both the networks at the same time or not. Regards.

^^^ @AmanJ My dear friend, hope you get the answer to your querry after reading this whole thread. Yes, the launch date for Iphone in India is 18th August. Regards.

Handsets may flaunt Airtel Live 4 Aug, 2008, 0132 hrs IST, ET Bureau KOLKATA: In a bid to drive value-added services (VAS) revenue, Bharti Airtel has initiated talks with leading handset vendors, including Nokia, to embed its VAS application. The company wants to pre-load its Airtel Live platform as an icon in the handsets which the vendors will sell in India. The move is aimed at growing VAS revenue at a significantly higher pace than its overall growth. “We are exploring the option to tie up with handset vendors like Nokia to provide Airtel Live as an icon in a handset’s menu. Talks are at an early stage of discussion. The icon will be available in all handsets and hence will remain inactive if the consumer is not using an Airtel connection. It then also serves as a huge branding tool,” Bharti Airtel’s chief marketing officer (mobility) Sanjay Gupta told ET. Airtel Live is multi-access entertainment portal on the mobile that provides a variety of rich content. At present, consumers can access it by using a GPRS connection in their handset. “If we can embed the icon, we will be able to increase accessibility for consumer and drive the usage. It will then help to grow our VAS revenue manifold,” Mr Gupta said. The company is also exploring newer products to grow its VAS business. Bharti Airtel’s VAS revenue contributes around 10% to its turnover. “There is a huge untapped opportunity to grow VAS in India, especially since the penetration level is quite low. It is the future growth area,” said Mr Gupta. In line with this, Bharti Airtel is foraying into the social networking space with an unique VAS application aimed at youth. Christened Airtel Mobile Campus, the service will be launched in all the circles. “However, the focus will be on the top 10 cities. We will promote this service primarily in education campuses,” Mr Gupta said. Airtel Mobile Campus is a result of intense market research, which was commissioned to the research firm IMRB. It is based on the mobile phone usage of Indian youth (age 15-24 years), which is essentially high SMS usage, low STD calls and higher calls during night. Airtel Mobile Campus has host of services such as sharing of photo and video, blog, bulk sms, contests and discussion forums. Call rates are also low at 25p and SMS at 10p during night and weekend.

Motorola gears up to rock nation with Motomusic 3 Aug, 2008, 1359 hrs IST, Press Trust of India NEW DELHI : US-based mobile handset maker Motorola is all set to give a tough competition to Apple's iTunes with launching its own online music portal, Motomusic. Motorola has recently launched its portal Motomusic store in the country which offers more than 3,50,000 tracks and other multimedia content like wallpapers and videos for download. Though Motorola Mobile Devices Director Products and Solutions (India and South West Asia) Faisal Siddiqui said the Motomusic service has nothing to do with i-phone launch in the country, analysts feel that the move to come up with a music platform would help Motorola compete with Apple. "Music on the move has become an integral part of the mobile users' experience. We expect the music store will enable us to cater to increasing consumer demand for mobile music downloads in the country," Siddiqui said. Motomusic as a platform will not only promote upcoming talent but also take care of their interests, he added. Among various value added services, music and gaming are going to be the major driving forces in boosting revenue and growth of telecom sector in India, a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said. Motorola has also introduced a music card, which allows users purchase and download music from the portal. After China, India is the only Asian country to have Motomusic. Motorola acquired online and mobile music distribution company Soundbuzz this year for launching the service in India. The company is also integrating the music service with mobile device. Last month, Motorola launched ROKR E8 powered by Motomusic in two versions priced at Rs 15,455 and Rs 13,999 respectively

^^^ Hmmm, no internet browser in this handset my dear friends. Seems ugly. Regards.

HTC P4350 Now in India HTC has launched its latest quad-band PDA phone HTC P4350 in the Indian market. At 17mm thick, it features a semi-automatic sliding QWERTY keypad. The P4350 features Windows Mobile 6.0 Direct push-email technology, internet browsing, and synchronization with Microsoft Outlook calendar, contacts, pocket MSN, and is powered by a 200MHz processor. It also provides the ability to work on Microsoft Office suite. Weighing 168 grams, the slim and compact device has a 2.8-inch colour display with a touch-screen and a landscape view screen for checking emails, surfing the internet, and watching videos. It also comes with a 5-way navigation control and packs 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM. For connectivity, the device supports GSM/GPRS and EDGE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The HTC P4350 will be available at all authorized resellers at a market operating price of Rs. 21,900. Specifications : Processor : TI's OMAP™ 850, 201 MHz Operating System : Windows Mobile® 5.0 for Pocket PC Phone Edition Memory ROM : 128 MB RAM : 64 MB DDR SDRAM Dimension : 109 mm (L) X 59 mm (W) X 17 mm (T) Weight : 168g with battery Display : 2.8" TFT-LCD, 240 X 320 dot pixels with 65,536 colors Network : Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 (The device will operate on frequencies available from the cellular network) Device Control : 5-way Navigation Control Keyboard : Auto-sliding QWERTY keyboard Connectivity : Bluetooth® 2.0 Wi-Fi® : IEEE 802.11 b/g HTC ExtUSBTM : (11-pin mini-USB and audio jack in one) Camera : 2.0 Megapixel CMOS color camera Audio : Built-in dual (microphone and speaker) Headphone : AMR/AAC/WAV/WMA/MP3 codec Battery : Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery Capacity : 1130 mAh Standby time : Up to 200 hours Talk time : Up to 5 hours Expansion Slot : microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible) AC Adapter : Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60Hz DC output : 5V and 1A Courtesy : Techtree

DoT to seek more spectrum from Defence forces for Delhi, Mumbai Business Line New Delhi, Aug. 2 Telecom subscribers in Delhi and Mumbai can hope to get more number of 3G players if the Defence forces play sport. The Communications Ministry, on Friday, had said it had spectrum to accommodate only two operators in these two cities. However, senior Government officials said that the Defence could release another 15 Mhz, which will be adequate for three more operators. “The Air Force is occupying this frequency band at the moment for some key installations in the two cities. Compared to other cities, Delhi and Mumbai have more number of Defence installations and therefore, the amount of spectrum available for commercial use is also less. But as per our analysis they can release some more spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band, which will be used for 3G mobile services,” said a Government official. With just two slots being made available in Delhi and Mumbai, 3G services for consumers in these cities could be expensive. That’s because, on one hand, State-owned MTNL has been given one slot and on the other, there could be at least eight-nine operators in the fray for the remaining slot. Since Delhi and Mumbai are both highly lucrative markets for telecom services, operators are expected to bid aggressively. If the operator ends up paying a high cost for acquiring the spectrum, then the services will become expensive. Therefore, the industry is now pushing the Government to negotiate with the Defence to release more spectrum. The armed forces had earlier said that they would not vacate the spectrum unless the Government provides it with an alternative medium of communication at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore. Operators said that the Government could fund the armed forces’ network from the money collected during the auction. The Communication Ministry expects to collect over Rs 30,000 crore from auctioning 3G spectrum. However, Government officials said that even if an agreement is reached with the Defence, it will take more than a year before the spectrum is actually made available for auction. They said that more 3G operators for Delhi and Mumbai could be possible in the next phase of auctioning.

No 3G auction for CDMA players Business Line New Delhi, Aug. 2 CDMA-based mobile operators can get third generation spectrum without having to participate in any auction. The policy announced on Friday stipulates that CDMA operators including Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices can seek one slot in the 800 Mhz, which is the most efficient and cost effective frequency band for 3G services as far as CDMA is concerned. The catch, however, is that Communications Ministry has decided that spectrum in this band will be allocated to the operator with most number of subscribers in a circle. 4 players There are 4 pan-India CDMA players at present – Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices, State-owned BSNL and the new entrant Sistema-backed Shyam Telecom. However, there are only two slots available in the 800 Mhz frequency band. Of these, state-owned PSUs MTNL and BSNL will get one slot, leaving space for only one more operator in this band. According to the subscriber-related data (for June 2008) put up on the Web site of the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI), which is the industry body for CDMA operators, Reliance Communications has the most number of subscribers in almost all the circles across the country except Delhi and Maharashtra, where Tata Teleservices is the number one player. This means that Reliance Communication will probably be the only private operator to get bandwidth in the lucrative band in most circles unless the Department of Telecom manages to convince the Defence to release more. First mover advantage Even if the Defence does agree to release additional spectrum, it will take at least a year more to set up an alternative medium of communication for the armed forces. By that time, Reliance Communications would have launched its services. While the DoT has made additional provision for allocating spectrum in the 450 Mhz and the 1900 Mhz bands for CDMA operators, technical experts confirmed that these bands are inferior compared to the 800 Mhz band. Rolling out 3G services in bands other than the 800 MHz band could be more expensive and also less efficient. DoT is yet to get clearances from the Defence forces for allocating 450 Mhz and 1900 Mhz bands. The CDMA player will have to pay a fee proportionate to the amount quoted by the highest bidder during the auction for GSM-based 3G services. For example if a GSM player bids Rs 5,000 crore for 5 Mhz spectrum, the CDMA player will have to pay Rs 1,250 crore for 1.25 MHz in the 800 MHz band. Rival operators said that they would be taking up the issue with the Communications Ministry. One option being suggested is to permit all CDMA operators to use their existing spectrum for rolling out 3G service.

^^^ @Hemant Try searching Reliance Website for the drivers my dear friend. Regards.

My dear friends, I'm also using one Chinese CDMA+GSM handset from the last 3 months without any problems. Regards.

Happy friendship day to all my dear RIMWEBIANS.

Tata Comm to take WiMax services to 115 towns this fiscal 3 Aug, 2008, 1125 hrs IST, PTI MUMBAI : Tata Communications, formerly VSNL, will take its WiMax services to 115 towns in this fiscal from the present 60 and it will look at taking broadband-WiMax services to four to five cities, a top company official said. "The government has announced that it will auction spectrum. Once the spectrum is alloted, we plan to take the broadband-WiMax services to four-five cities," Tata Communications CEO and MD N Srinath told shareholders yesterday. Presently, the company uses underground cable network to provide WiMax services. But it faces "quality problems" because of "last mile connectivity problems". Using broadband would improve the quality of the WiMax service, he said. WiMax is a telecommunication technology that provides wireless data. The company would be investing USD two billion in the next three years as part of its capital expenditure, Srinath said. The investments would go in laying submarine cable systems and rolling out WiMax services, he added.

MTNL to begin 3G services in 3 months after getting spectrum 3 Aug, 2008, 1105 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: State-run MTNL is ready to roll out its 3G network within three months once the PSU gets spectrum from the government, company CMD R S P Sinha said. "Our core network is ready... we are expecting formal allocation of spectrum from Department of Telecom. The indoor testing of 3G equipment from the trial spectrum has already been done in Delhi but outdoor trial is yet to be done as we have not got the spectrum and once this is completed, we should be able roll out the services in three months," Sinha said. Only two private players, alongside a state-owned firm, would get licences for New Delhi and Mumbai due to shortage of spectrum there, as per the policy announced last week. But government would initially permit up to five operators, including a state carrier, although that could be raised up to 10 later. In Mumbai, Sinha said MTNL would be ready to roll out in maximum five months. In fact MTNL shares surged 4 per cent after government announced the reservation of spectrum for PSUs on Friday. He said MTNL had floated the tender on 3G much earlier. The total investment incurred by it on 3G, Sinha said is about Rs 100 crore. The government, which announced the broad guidelines of the 3G policy yesterday, said MTNL and BSNL would be allocated one block each in Delhi/Mumbai and rest of the country respectively. The spectrum would be reserved for them and they just would have to match the highest bid after the auction for private companies is completed. This would give the PSUs a first-mover advantage of a minimum four months over private sector rivals. Sinha said the tariffs of the 3G service would be market-driven.

Palm Centro Now Available in Onyx Black Palm, Inc. has unveiled a new version of their Palm Centro smartphone in a stylish onyx black color. The handset is also still available in glacier white. I think the onyx black Centro will show users that the handset isn’t just an affordable handset with decent functionality but one that has a certain amount of flair and fashion sense as well. The Palm Centro also includes the following features and capabilities – a 2.2 inch touch screen with a 320 x 320 pixel resolution, a full QWERTY keyboard, one-touch speakerphone activation, conference calling, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. The Centro allows users to have conversations in a chat-style view, just like Instant Messaging. Email functionality includes Microsoft Direct Push Technology that gives users access to their corporate email, as well as the ability to automatically update work calendars and accept or decline meeting invites on the go. Some versions of the handset will also come preloaded with the Google Maps application. Media functionality includes Pocket Tunes on Centro that lets users “sideload” songs and manage music, audio books and videos. Users can also shoot pictures or videos with the built-in digital camera and share them with friends. The Palm Centro smartphone is available at a retail price of Rs. 13,990 (inclusive of tax) and will be distributed through Ingram, the national distributor for the product, and will be available at IT retail stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune and Chandigarh. Courtesy : Tech2

^^^ @Webmaster My dear friend, if it is unlocked then you can use this handset with Reliance. Regards.

BSNL puts off IPTV launch by a year 3 Aug, 2008, 0107 hrs IST, ET Bureau KOLKATA: If you’re still waiting for BSNL’s already delayed IPTV service, you may be in for a rude shock. State-owned telecoms behemoth plans to take at least another year to ring in the full-fledged launch of internet-protocol TV in the three select cities — Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. So if you’re wondering, what went wrong, a couple of things transpired that have now compelled BSNL to ink agreements directly with broadcasters right from the concept stages. Additionally, it also intends to procure and install equipment that will download the content from these channels and distribute it through the internet protocol. Apparently, BSNL has finally realised that its inability to provide all major channels was largely because it did not ink any direct agreements with mainline broadcasters. Instead it had roped in a Bangalore-based content provider IOL Broadband, which resulted in poor response to its IPTV pilot project. In fact, for months on end BSNL was offering IPTV services on a pilot basis to a select few and that too free of cost since its definitive agreement with the Zee group failed to materialise. BSNL’s decision to defer the IPTV services is based on the fact that not all broadcasters are willing to enter into agreements with third-parties for content outsourcing. “Broadcasters are keen on entering into agreements with BSNL but not with any third-party which, in fact, has hindered the growth of IPTV,” BSNL-Kolkata CGM S K Chakravarty said. He was talking to reporters at an interaction at Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here on Saturday. “BSNL is in the process of acquiring equipment required for downloading signals and distribution. It will take another year to relaunch the IPTV with new infrastructure,” Mr Chakravarty said. Interestingly, BSNK-Kolkata (Calcutta Telephones) has signed a memorandum with with Computer Association of Eastern India (Compass), for promoting bundled offer for broadband with new computer. Under the offer, broadband charge will be Rs 199 instead of Rs 250 for the home plan. BSNL has targeted 20 million broadband connections by 2010. Calcutta Telephones is also in the process of investing Rs 365 crore for adopting a unified billing system.

Ambani divorce papers may soon be in public domain 2 Aug, 2008, 0552 hrs IST, ET Bureau MUMBAI: The famous, but so far unseen, family agreement, which formalised the split between Mukesh and Anil Ambani, may soon become public. "The MoU, if required, would be produced before the court by Smt Kokilaben, mother of the Ambani brothers," according to Ram Jethmalani, counsel for Reliance National resources (RNRL), an Anil Ambani group company, which is engaged in litigation with the Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries over natural gas supply from the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin. Mr Jethmalani spoke to ET on the sidelines of the legal proceedings in the Bombay High Court. The family agreement assumes significance in view of the arguments advanced by RIL's lawyer Harish Salve that the MoU was a 'ghost agreement' as nobody has seen it yet and questioned the enforceability of such an MoU. Thus, the 'family agreement' may take centre stage at the Bombay HC next week. "It's a private document between the Ambani brothers. Besides broad framework of the demerger, it also has the details of the division of the personal assets of Ambani family," said a person broadly familiar with the contents of the MoU. A single-judge bench of the HC, in an earlier order, had directed the Ambani brothers to renegotiate the gas sales agreement as per the family agreement or the MoU. The MoU has not been submitted in the court as evidence. Mr Salve has argued that the RIL board was not party. "It's a piece of trash, as far as this case in concerned," said Mr Salve. The case will come up before a two-judge bench of the Bombay HC on Tuesday, when RIL's counsel is likely to complete his submissions and Mr Jethmalani will begin his argument. The MoU was signed in June 2005. Later in January 2006, the RIL board passed a number of resolutions which led to the formation of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG). Ownership of Reliance Capital, Reliance Infocomm (now known as Reliance Communication), BSES (now called Reliance infrastructure) and RNRL, which were earlier majority owned by RIL, was handed over to ADAG. Certain contracts signed as part of this process including the gas supply agreement (which is being litigated over in the Bombay HC) and various non-compete agreements have been the subject of bitter disputes between the estranged brothers. Mr Salve's statements only reiterates the legal stand adopted by RIL. In various communications sent to ADAG, RIL has reiterated that it is not party to the family agreement and is not aware of any such agreement. These communications were in response to letters written by ADAG, alleging that RIL was violating the non-compete clause by entering sectors such as power and financial services. RIL's stand is that it is only bound by resolutions passed by the RIL board.

^^^ My dear friend, pleaes do not post a new thread unnecessarily when you can discuss the matter here in this thread only. For now we have merged your new thread with this. You can continue discussions here in this thread only. Regards.

^^^ Khoda Pahaadh Aur Nikli Chuhiya !

^^^ @Vijay My dear friend, the reason for the post count remaining 0 for Mailarchies is that all the post of his is in GENERAL CHAT. And in General Chat the posts are not been counted. Regards.

5 to 10 3G operators in a circle. But the spectrum? Sify, Saturday, 02 August , 2008, 17:49 In the backdrop of scarce spectrum or airwave; the government has announced a global auction policy for 3G (third generation) telecom and wireless broadband services, all on the condition of availability. Union communications minister A Raja said on Friday the number of operators in a circle or a service area offering 3G could go up to 10, while the initial number will be 5. He added that the number of operators would be subject to availability of spectrum. Despite all the uncertainties related to spectrum availability, the government is targeting revenue worth Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore from 3G and wireless broadband auctions. Delhi and Mumbai, the two most happening telecom markets in India, for instance, cannot accommodate more than 2 to 3 telcos offering 3G services, out of which one slot will certainly go to Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL). Realistically speaking, Delhi and Mumbai cannot have more than one private operator each for 3G, where the demand for the service is expected to be the maximum. The other telecom PSU, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), would get a reserved 3G slot across the country except in Delhi and Mumbai. Raja admitted that, while pointing out that most other circles (except Delhi and Mumbai) could have 3 to 5 operators in "the near future". And the number could go up to 10, if more spectrum is available. When asked about the status of spectrum availability with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Raja failed to come up with a clear answer. He only said that effort is on to get unused spectrum vacated from defence forces and space agencies. The National Security Advisor, Raja said, was advising the defence ministry on the matter, and that within two months the issue could be resolved. However, the defence ministry's stand is that an alternate communications system should be in place for the forces (army, navy and air force) before it could vacate any spectrum. But, DoT is insisting on phased vacation of spectrum after an alternate network for the air force is in place. It is learnt that there hasn't been much interaction between the defence ministry and DoT over the matter in the recent months. According to DoT officials, the 3G global auctions could be completed over the next four months. Players like Bharti are saying that they could roll out 3G services within 6 months after grant of spectrum. Going by the DoT version, the 3G-auction process will be completed by the end of this year, and that should be the timeframe for spectrum allocation as well. So, by June 2009, many players like Bharti could be ready to roll out services. The current UPA government's regime would come to an end around April-May 2009. For the global auction, the reserve price for pan-India 3G licence has been kept at Rs 2,020 crore. While for the A circle cities and towns (Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) the reserve price is Rs 160 crore each, that for B circle (Kolkata, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, UP (West), UP (East), Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal) it is Rs 80 crore each. For C circle towns (Himachal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, North East and Jammu and Kashmir), the reserve price has been kept at Rs 30 crore each. Spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band would be allocated for 3G services. For broadband wireless services, the reserve price for auction would be 25% of the 3G prices. Separate auction would be conducted for each telecom service area or circle by a specialized agency. For both 3G and broadband, the highest bid price has to be matched by all successful players in a circle. Besides existing telecom players in fixed telephony and 2G mobile services, new and foreign players will also be allowed to bid. The new players should have 3G experiences in some part of the globe. Also, the new players have to pay an entry fee equivalent to the Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) currently at Rs 1,650 crore for a pan-India presence. The recent entrants in the telecom space like Swan, Videocon and Unitech would be permitted to bid for 3G as they already have the UASL licence. While there won’t be any spectrum usage charge in the first year of 3G operations, thereon 1% of the AGR would have to be paid to the government. DoT has fixed rollout obligations and penalty for spectrum hoarding as well. The 3G licence would be for a period of 20 years. But, the government has made it clear that it reserves the right to amend or modify these terms and conditions before the commencement of the auction process. And, the final conditions shall be indicated in the bidding document. CDMA Development Group (CDG) India country head B V Raman said, "We welcome DOT's decision to open internationally harmonised bands, namely 450, 1900 & 2100 MHz. bands for 3G services. CDG also hopes that the DOT will make spectrum available in the 450 & 1900 MHz. bands for auction at the earliest." CDMA represents players like Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices. GSMA, the global trade body for the mobile industry, and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have welcomed the government's plans to award licenses for 3G spectrum via an auction and to automatically extend the underlying 2G licenses to make them co-terminus with the 3G allocations. "The Indian Government's 3G policy is a fair and transparent way of allocating additional spectrum amongst the Indian service providers. Furthermore, the automatic extension of the underlying 2G licences will ensure continuity and stability of service and is in the interest of Indian consumers," they said. GSM players include Bharti, Vodafone, BSNL, Idea and Aircel.

Operators eye more revenues from 3G services Sify, Saturday, 02 August , 2008, 17:01 New Delhi: Third generation mobile policy couldn’t have come at a better time for cellular service providers. At a time when their average revenue per user is slipping to below Rs 250 and when most operators are faced with severe crunch in spectrum, 3G services is being looked at nothing less than the messiah for operators. “It will take a while for operators to get returns but as volumes pick up they will be counting on 3G to lift their average revenue per user,” says Prashant Singhal, head of telecoms practice, Ernst &Young. Over the past two years, GSM-based operators have been reporting declining ARPUs, one of the indicators of their financial health. They have tried to bring in a number of new value added services to counter the declining tariffs for voice calls. However, with existing cellular technologies only so much was possible. With 3G technology operators are hoping to introduce high speed data services that will bring new services such as video on demand, mobile TV, video telephony and other entertainment related services. At speeds that are almost 10 times the existing technologies, 3G will provide a better user experience. “While consumers get more applications, wider coverage, unwired broadband it also will result in more revenues to the service providers,” said P Balaji, vice-president, Ericsson India. Other than revenues, 3G will allow operators to enhance their capacities even for voice traffic. Operators are facing severe 2G spectrum crunch in top 20-30 cities due to which their future growth will be hampered. The Government has already indicated that it has limited spectrum left for 2G services. In this scenario if the operators want to sustain the current momentum of adding 6 million subscribers every month, the 5 Mhz spectrum being allocated for 3G services will be more than useful. While 3G is good for data services, it is also 3 times more efficient than existing technologies in terms of packing in subscribers. “3G will help operators to better their quality of service. This is very efficient technology for both voice and data,” said T V Ramachandran, Director General, COAI. The association has projected 75 million 3G subscribers by 2012. However, some of the new players have expressed concern that 5 Mhz may not be sufficient for a standalone 3G operator to do both voice and data. “The policy is skewed in favour of existing players. On one hand Government is not giving any more 2G spectrum to new players and on the other hand only 5 Mhz is being given for 3G,” said a prospective bidder. New players will also have to cough up nearly Rs 4,000 crore to just qualify for the auction.