Honest

Not bound by RIL's alleged RoFR in RCOM: Anil Ambani firm 19 Jul, 2008, 1946 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: A day after the collapse of deal between South Africa's MTN and RCOM, an Anil Ambani company on Saturday charged Mukesh-led RIL with causing substantial harm to it as a majority shareholder in the Indian telecom entity and asserted its rights to claim damages. AAA Communications, a private company of Anil Ambani that holds 63.38 per cent equity in RCOM, today wrote to RIL claiming it was "free to and shall deal with RCOM shares as it deems fit." It claimed that it was not a party to any "alleged non- compete agreement dated January 12, 2006" and hence was not covered by any alleged rights of first refusal to RIL. An RCOM spokesperson, however, declined to comment when asked about the non-compete agreement, citing which RIL had initiated the arbitration process against RCOM by nominating a former Supreme Court judge Justice B P Jeevan Reddy as an arbitrator on July 17. A spokesperson of RIL, which had thrown the spanner in negotiations between RCOM and MTN, which could have possibly created a USD 70-billion telecom entity, by asserting its right of first refusal on majority stake in RCOM, declined to comment immediately on the letter from Anil Ambani firm. The Anil Ambani firm termed RIL's action as "uncalled for, offensive and clearly motivated" and said RIL's "mala fide interference caused significant harm to AAA Com as a substantial RCOM shareholder". "AAA Com reserves right to claim direct and consequential damages from RIL," the spokesperson said. The Anil Ambani firm's claim that it was free to deal with RCOM shares in whatever way it deemed fit is also seen as a signal that it was ready to start negotiations for any deal with any entity, including MTN. The statement from the Anil Ambani firm's spokesperson comes close after RCOM and MTN calling off their negotiations citing "legal and regulatory hurdles". "The two sides were unable to conclude the transaction due to certain regulatory issues," RCOM said in a statement yesterday night, ahead of the July 21 expiry of the extended agreement for exclusive talks with MTN.

MTN saga: Tale of Ambanis and Sunil Mittal 19 Jul, 2008, 0640 hrs IST, ET Mukesh Ambani • Sunil Mittal • Anil Ambani NEW DELHI: The twists in the MTN saga brought together three of India’s corporate czars, both the Ambanis and Sunil Mittal, and provided them a unique, if unwanted opportunity, to determine each other’s destiny. RCOM chairman Anil Ambani had pulled off a coup when he landed an agreement for exclusive talks with MTN within 24 hours of Bharti Airtel pulling out of negotiations with the South African telco in late May. Mr Ambani had seemed to have pulled the rug from under the feet of his arch rival Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal. But seven weeks down the line, it is another Ambani, older brother Mukesh, who seemed to have handed a second chance to Mr Mittal as Bharti looks to re-engage with MTN. The intervention of the loquacious Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, a self-proclaimed friend of Anil Ambani, and rumours of high-level political attempts at mediation, added another twist to the saga. The wheel seems to have come full circle from late May. Mukesh seems to have done to Anil what the latter did to Sunil earlier. Whether RCOM entered into negotiations with MTN once talks with Bharti had failed, or whether it was its eagerness to explore all options with MTN which resulted in the collapse of talks between the South African firm and Bharti, is a matter of conjecture. Yet some industry sources share the view that that it was Anil’s offer of a ‘better’ deal that led MTN to call off its proposed merger with Bharti after both companies had signed a term-sheet. But, just when it seemed that RCOM and Mr Anil Ambani were giving final touches to consummating a merger with MTN to create a global telecom giant with close to 120 million subscribers and a footprint stretching from the Cape of Good Hope to the Himalayas across 23 countries and covering a population of two billion, the elder Ambani, Mukesh, suddenly asserted Reliance Industries’ (RIL) right of first refusal (RoFR). Industry sources say RIL’s claims of RoFR was what reportedly brought discussions between the Indian and South African telco to a standstill. A top industry source said the deal was doomed from the day RIL sent a letter to MTN, claiming its first right of refusal to any stake sale by RCOM. The implication: After being pitted against each other (before the Reliance empire was split between the two brothers) and after having fought a slew of bitter corporate wars, Mukesh Ambani was well on his way to delivering MTN back to Bharti. The drama intensified on Thursday after RIL said it had started arbitration proceedings against RCOM to thwart the latter’s merger with MTN. Even as RCOM dismissed RIL’s move and said the arbitration cannot be launched unilaterally and can only happen when ‘both’ parties refer the dispute to a person outside the court, the development only fuelled more doubts about the deal going through. The past is perhaps the best indicator to explain the linkages between three of the country’s largest CEOs. The battle between the Ambanis and Mittal is nearly a decade old, while that between the Ambani brothers has been on for the past three years. Telecom : Mukesh Vs Sunil; Anil Vs Sunil On the telecom front, while Mr Mittal was earlier pitted against the older Ambani (Mukesh), he has been fighting younger brother Anil Ambani for the last three years. Bharti is currently miles ahead of RCOM in India, but tables would have turned if the latter had clinched a deal with MTN. Little wonder that Bharti wants to revive talks with MTN considering that a merger between RCOM and the South African telco will create a global telecom giant with a market cap of over $60 billion, revenues of $14.4 billion, an operating profit of over $6 billion and assets worth $26.8 billion, and emerge as the second-most profitable operator in emerging markets after China Mobile. The stakes are high as such a merger will overshadow Bharti, which currently has a market cap of a over $40 billion with close to 70 million subscribers and no significant presence outside India. At the same time, it must be pointed out that Mr Mittal has had the upper hand in the telecom space only over the last two years. In 2005, RCOM (then called Reliance Infocomm and controlled by Mukesh) had not only managed to dislodge Bharti from its market leadership position, but nearly pushed Mr Mittal to the edge. Mr Mittal himself has acknowledged this and in an earlier interview told ET that at the height of the WLL crisis in 2002, Battleship Bharti was a “machine that was creaking”. The pace of Infocomm’s national rollout, coupled with cheaper tariffs and handsets, saw the company shoot past Bharti in subscriber numbers and forced Mr Mittal to invest beyond his company’s means and left Bharti on the verge of collapse. Bharti then made a slow and steady comeback even as RCOM was busy fighting battles on several fronts, widespread billing problems, trouble with the law for alleged ‘illegal’ routing of international calls, a down market image and instability in management. RCOM, under Anil Ambani, could have cut Bharti to size last year had it been successful in its bid for Hutchison Essar, the CDMA major would have had over 50 million subscribers and close to a 40% market share, way ahead of Bharti with 30 million subscribers. Mr Mittal had then played spoilsport by providing the no-objection certificate (NOC) to Vodafone, which enabled the UK-based telco to outbid RCOM and gain a controlling stake in Hutchison Essar. Since then, both Mr Mittal and Mr Anil Ambani have been involved in several battles, ranging from spectrum to RCOM’s planned entry into the GSM space to Bharti refusing to bail out Reliance Communications earlier this year during the undersea cable crisis. The political scenario at the Centre may yet allow Ambani junior to have a one-up on Mr Mittal. This is because, SP’s Amar Singh has been pressing upon the PMO to impose a heavy one-time fee on GSM operators who hold spectrum beyond the 6.2 MHz. Last year, RCOM chairman Anil Ambani had written several letters to both the PM and the communications ministry on exactly similar lines. The UPA may be forced to concede to Mr Singh’s demands this time around, ET has learnt that the PMO has asked both the communications ministry and the finance ministry to look into Amar Singh’s demands. Ambani Vs Ambani Amidst all this, the last three years have also seen both the Ambani brothers involved in a series of bitter wars and endless disputes across sectors from gas to power to aviation to telecom. The 2005 family agreement between both brothers exists only on paper as both Ambanis have dragged each other to courts on several issues, the biggest of which is the supply of gas by Mukesh’s RIL from the Krishna Godavari basin for Anil’s upcoming $8-billion project in setting up a 7,450 MW power plant in Dadri, UP. RIL and Anil’s RNRL have been locked in a prolonged legal tussle over the gas-sales agreement signed in 2005, by which RIL had committed to sell a portion of the KG basin gas to RNRL at a fixed price. However, differences arose after the petroleum ministry rejected the gas sales contract between the two. In an interim order last year, the Bombay High Court had restrained RIL from selling the gas to any third party, with the purpose of protecting the interests of R-ADAG. The case is now before a division bench. RIL may sign agreements for the sale of gas to third parties only after the court rules in its favour. The case will come up for hearing on July 22. The next bone of contention for the feuding brothers was the Rs 7,500-crore Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link project to link Sewri in south Mumbai with Nhawa near Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Navi Mumbai. While Mukesh Ambani bagged the project initially, ADAG, whose own bid was rejected on the basis of financial parameters, contested the decision. The Supreme Court later upheld Anil Ambani’s appeal. However, the Maharashtra government rejected Anil Ambani’s bid as ‘unrealistic’, and instead hiring Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to construct the sea bridge. The brothers had also put in separate bids for a 7.5-hectare plot in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). Elder brother Mukesh beat Anil to it, acquiring the plot for Rs 1,104 crore, where he plans to construct a convention centre with a 2,000-seat auditorium. Much to ADAG’s consternation, the state government increased the floor space index (FSI) from one to four soon after Mukesh’s successful bid. The Anil Ambani group’s objection that it was done after the bid was announced was turned down by the Bombay High Court. The Ambanis are not only fighting it out over new, upcoming projects. Their disputes extend to projects bagged prior to the demerger. The brothers are fighting a case against each other in the Bombay High Court over a plot of land at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, which was allotted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to RIL subsidiary Reliance Transport and Travels (RTTL) in 2000. However, RTTL went to Anil Ambani after the brothers parted ways. Both brothers are now staking claim to the same hangar space at the airport. The case comes up for hearing next on July 24. Retail: Mukesh Vs Sunil Meanwhile, Mukesh and Sunil had moved their battlefield to retail. In 2006, prior to making his retail debut, Mukesh almost cleaned out Sunil Mittal’s agri-venture FieldFresh Foods by poaching nearly 70 top employees. According to industry sources, Mukesh’s move had put the brakes on Bharti’s plans for a quick entry into the domestic food retail space. All through 2006 and 2007, both Bharti and Reliance were involved in a battle to woo farmers in Punjab after both companies had identified this state as a key hub for their retail and agri business. Mukesh had a headstart in the retail war and announced plans to invest around Rs 25,000 crore with a revenue of Rs 90,000 crore by 2010. Sunil, in, turn came back by tying up with the world’s largest retailer Wal-Mart. However, Mukesh continues to hold a distinct edge, Reliance Retail has a pan-India presence across several formats and has over 600 stores, while the Bharti Wal-Mart combine is yet to open its first outlet. Soon, Anil Ambani may add a new dimension to the retail war, industry sources say the ADAG group has plans to foray into select retail formats. The telecom link Yet, it’s telecom which is the most decisive to the fortunes of these three corporate czars. With the MTN deal coming unstuck, Anil Ambani seems to have lost the opportunity to be propelled to the global stage, gaining the independent identity he’s been searching for since the family de-merger and the chance to score over both his elder brother Mukesh and rival Sunil Mittal. For Mr Mittal, it’s another chance at the MTN deal now. He may have exited the telecom world three years ago but Mukesh Ambani turned out to be the main player in this cross-border telecom saga.

MTN Deal: Bharti may be open to fresh talks 19 Jul, 2008, 0415 hrs IST, ET NEW DELHI: Reliance Communications (RCOM) and South Africa’s MTN on Friday announced that merger talks between the two telcos have ended. Anil Ambani-owned RCOM has become the second Indian telco in as many months to fail in pulling off a merger with MTN. Bharti Airtel and MTN were close to a merger in May but the Indian telco called off the talks after the two companies failed to agree on the corporate structure of the combined entity. “Owing to certain legal and regulatory issues, the parties are presently unable to conclude a transaction. Accordingly, it has been mutually decided to allow the exclusivity agreement to lapse,” Reliance Communications said in a statement. MTN too issued a similar statement to Johannesburg Stock Exchange News Service late Friday evening, adding: “Accordingly, it has been mutually decided to allow the exclusivity agreement to lapse and caution is no longer required to be exercised by shareholders when dealing in MTN securities.” The failure of RCOM and MTN to clinch a deal may present a second chance to Bharti Airtel to re-engage with the South African telco. As reported by ET earlier this week, MTN is learnt to have sent feelers to Bharti for reviving talks if it failed to clinch a deal with RCOM. Sources close to the development said that Bharti was ‘open to take the discussions with MTN forward’. However, it is possible that other global telcos may also enter the fray for MTN. A top industry source said the deal had hit a big roadblock as early as June 12, when Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries wrote to MTN claiming that it has the right of first refusal over RCOM in the event of a change in management or change in the ownership of shares of the Indian telco. Friday’s announcement means that RCOM and MTN have mutually agreed to call off talks three days prior to the end of the exclusivity period. Earlier this month, following the end of the 45-day exclusivity period, both telcos had agreed to extend the timeframe by another two weeks to July 21. The formal end of talks comes a day after RIL had said it has started arbitration proceedings against RCOM to thwart a merger. RIL on Thursday had also said it would take legal action if the South African telco were to merge with RCOM. The dispute between the two Ambani brothers relates to the RIL stance that it has the right of first refusal, a claim which has been repeatedly denied by the Reliance ADA Group. The RCOM-MTN deal had assumed political overtones. The Samajwadi party, the UPA’s new partner at the Centre, has been pressing for the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to play peacemaker between the feuding brothers. Earlier this week, SP general secretary Amar Singh had slammed RIL’s attempts to ‘derail the deal’ while adding that the MTN deal was good for the country. In the event, no high-level political intervention seems to have taken place. On Friday evening, Mr Singh, when contacted by ET, declined to comment. While no details of the RCOM’s negotiations with MTN have been officially disclosed, sources close to the negotiations have told ET that the deal structure which was envisaged involved RCOM becoming a subsidiary of MTN and RCOM’s promoter ADAG emerging as MTN’s largest shareholder. This structure proved fatal for the deal, because Reliance Industries claimed it had a right of first refusal if RCOM was sold. While RCOM vehemently denied the existence of any such right, the legal uncertainties proved too much for MTN, leading to the deal’s collapse.

'Frame long-term policies, auction spectrum' 19 Jul, 2008, 0225 hrs IST, ET NEW DELHI: Confronted with a tax case on the acquisition of Hutchison Essar and also the possibility of the government imposing a one-time spectrum fee on GSM telcos who hold radio frequencies beyond the 6.2 MHz, Vodafone Group’s outgoing CEO, Arun Sarin, is learnt to have discussed these issues with finance minister P Chidambaram in Delhi on Friday. Mr Sarin was escorted by MD of Vodafone Indian subsidiary Asim Ghosh and other officials. While it could not be independently confirmed, industry sources say that Mr Sarin and the group’s incoming CEO Vittorio Calao were in India to hold talks with government officials on these issues. Mr Sarin’s visit to the North Block assumes importance as the finance ministry favours imposing a fee of up to Rs 1,312 crore for every single MHz of radio frequencies that telcos hold over the 6.2 MHz limit. GSM operators have strongly opposed the move, saying that the current spectrum allocation guidelines entitle them to up to 15 MHz of radio frequencies per circle. GSM operators, including Vodafone, have also sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in this issue. At the same time, Vodafone also faces a tax demand in India, amounting to about $2 bn, in the wake of the $11-bn acquisition of Hutch-Essar from Hutchison International. As reported earlier, Vodafone has already dragged the income tax department to the Bombay High Court claiming that the Indian tax authorities have no locus standi on a transaction that took place between two parties outside India. Interacting with the media, Mr Sarin said that auction of radio frequencies was the best way to allot this scarce resource in India. He also called for long-term regulatory policies in India as telcos planned their businesses for long-term. When asked on his plans, Mr Sarin said that he would take a break immediately after his retirement on July 29 and head to the Himalayas. "I shall be going for trekking in Himalayas," he said. Vodafone’s Indian operations rank fifth in both revenues and EBITDA after Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. "But as far as Vodafone’s operations are concerned, India has been a very exciting market. When we started about 18 months ago, we just had 20 mn subscribers and today we have 50 mn and we are looking to achieve the 100 million mark very soon," Mr Sarin said. When asked if any notable changes had taken place in India since its entry into the market, Mr Sarin acknowledged that things were different now while adding that he had expected the country to have long-term policies in place. On the controversial issue of spectrum allocation to new entrants as well as CDMA players under the dual technology licence, Mr Sarin said that the country should have adopted an auction process as this would bring in the highest valuations for the government. On 3G, Mr Sarin termed this a ‘very interesting prospect for India’ and said that Vodafone would use its experience of 30 million 3G customers in Europe as it rolls out high-end services here. Vittorio Calao, the incoming CEO who will be succeeding Mr Sarin, said he was excited about the company’s business opportunities in India.

IMImobile in AlwaysOn list Hyderabad, July 18 Value-added services provider for mobile operators, IMImobile, has announced that it has been selected by AlwaysOn, as one of the AO Global 250 winners. The 6th annual list from the US company recognises the companies and industry leaders demonstrating significant market traction and developing disruptive technology. IMImobile’s inclusion in the list is based on innovation, market potential, com mercialisation, stakeholder value and media buzz. According to The CEO of IMImobile, Mr Vishwanath Alluri, IMImobile is the only Indian company to be selected in the mobile sector-

Idea dials DoT for clarity on M&A norms: Sources 2008-07-18 22:46:12 CNBC-TV18 Sources from the Department of Telecom, or the DoT have said that the Aditya Birla Group owned Idea Cellular has written to the DoT seeking clarity on the Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) norms applicable. Sources said that according to Idea Cellular, the (Idea-Spice) merger seems permissible even in overlapping service areas. Also it is permissible as per the 'Intent of Policy', sources added. The company has also sought clarity on the demerger of licences in overlapping areas, they said. Sources also said that Idea is seeking clarity on transfer of demerged licence to other promoters. According to them, if merger or a demerger is disallowed, then Idea is willing to surrender licence. Idea has said that the licensor should then refund licence fee already paid. DoT sources have also said that the licence fee of about Rs 350 crore will be paid for two overlapping service areas. There is no clarification yet from the Department of Telecommunications. They are going to evaluate this case. To some extent it would have taken them by surprise because the policy that was framed in April 2008 is very ambiguous. The operational part says, “Any permission for a merger shall be accorded only after completion of three years from the effective date of the licenses.” Three years and licenses are the two operative words. Now in the case of Idea and Spice, there are a few circles wherein Spice currently has operations and Idea has now got a license and it has already paid the license fee. So is the merger applicable there or not? That is the big question. Idea is saying that in the case of licenses it need not necessarily mean that both the companies should have been there for three years. Spice has been operating for three years. The merger should be applicable even in overlapping areas. But the policy is ambiguous. Idea has written to the DoT asking them to tell them what the policy is. A) Is the merger applicable in these areas or not? The way we look at the policy, the intent of the policy is only to ensure that new operators don’t make quick money and exit. That is not the case here because Idea and Spice are well-entrenched operators who have been around for 10 years. So they are saying that the way we look at it the merger is applicable. In case it is not, they have sought the DoTs clarity on whether they can demerge licenses that are in overlapping areas. For example, licenses of Karnataka and Punjab, which in the case of Idea are critical. So, Idea is saying, can we then demerge them into a separate subsidiary and then transfer ownership of this demerged entity. Is that possible, they have asked the DoT for its permission? They have said that if the DoT thinks that both are not possible, then they are saying that we are willing to surrender our licenses in these two areas but we would think that they are eligible for a refund. That amount would be to the tune of Rs 350 crore. We understand that Spice has also written a similar letter because there are four circles in which Spice has got licenses in which Idea is also operating. It is an effort that has gone in from Idea and Spice as well. We spoke to sources in DoT and they said that they are evaluating this letter. We understand that it will take them at least a couple of months because there is this ambiguity in the policy, which will now need to be addressed. Will government returning the Rs 350 crore license fee? Returning a license fee is unprecedented. It has never happened in India. It would be very difficult for the government to actually do that. It could set a very difficult precedent. The second possibility, which is allowing Idea to demerge the two licenses, which are in overlapping areas and then send it off to another promoter again is very tricky because a whole host of new operators the likes of Swan, Datacomm who have got licenses in 21 circles then the DoT if they allow this what they are saying is that all these companies don’t need to meet the three-year lock-in period. They can just get the spectrum, create another entity, demerge these licenses and send it off, which is again very unlikely that the DoT could do. We will then be left with just scenario wherein they will have to give approval to the merger in the licensing. So, it is a very tricky situation. We understand from DoT sources that they will refer to legal experts within the Department for their opinion and only then will they take a final call on this issue. We spoke to a top official in the DoT and he said that this could take a few months for the DoT to give a final take because a lot is at stake.

RIL says no comments on RCOM-MTN deal collapse Press Trust of India New Delhi, July 18 (PTI) Mukesh Ambani group flagship company RIL, that has initiated the arbitration process against Anil Ambani group firm RCOM on its negotiations with South African MTN for a possible merger, today declined to comment on the collapse of the deal. "We have no comments to offer at this point," RIL spokesperson told PTI when asked about comments and the fate of the Arbitration, for which the company had yesterday nominated Justice B P Jeevan Reddy as the arbitrator. The negotiations between RCOM and MTN had hit a rough pocket last month when RIL claimed the first right of refusal on majority stake in ADA group company, which was perceived to be talking for a deal through share swap.

^^^ My dear friend always search the forum before posting a new thread. We are already discussing about the same HERE.

^^^ Very correct my dear Raccoon. As per the current situation with RIM, their is no chance at all. Regards.

@Hussain My dear friend, Nokia 6275 could be a better choice and its priced below 10K. Nokia 6275 is a feature rich handset. Their always been a risk for having problems in slider type models in the future as you use the handset. But their isn't any problem for Flat / Candy Bar type models. Regards.

^^^ @Raccoon My dear friend, can't say about Pune, but in Mumbai today the Airtel's network is much affected due to fire. Subscribers were unable to make or receive any outgoing calls in that particular area. In Pune their could be some other problem with Airtel. As you always say in other threads that Airtel's network in Pune is Pathetic. So it seems its going to be more pathetic day by day. Regards.

Apple's iPhone 3G: The Verdict Apple's iPhone 3G is out, the euphoria has died down a little, and the verdicts are surfacing. Business Week's Olga Kharif opines that the new and improved iPhone is definitely a winner compared to the original, but needs a little more polishing. The subsequent verdicts have been based on her experience with the iPhone 3G. Price-wise and capability-wise, the new iPhone 3G is comparable to Research In Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry Curve, and Samsung's Instinct. However, maintenance costs make iPhone more expensive. The new iPhone, on an average, would need maintenance costs upto $100 per month, which would be on par with what one would spend on a Samsung Instinct every month, and much higher than the $30 a month for the BlackBerry Curve. Design-wise, the iPhone 3G is nicer looking because it's sleeker than the original iPhone. It fits neatly into the palm because of a new curved back. The software of the new iPhone 3G is the best part about it, says Kharif. Features such as sending photos received via mail directly to photo albums, and the availability of keyboard languages in 20 different languages make it a good choice across ethnicities. The Safari browser allows eight tabs to be open at once, unlike any other smartphone. However, the coolest thing that the new iPhone brings along is the Apps. There are hundreds of them to choose from. At the same time, Kharif finds iTunes to be a disappointment, mostly thanks to the complexities involved with it. Luckily, or maybe not, the Indian consumer will not face this issue in the near future, since it isn't available here yet. Another downer is iPhone 3G's GPS, which isn't fully integrated with the preloaded software. Next in the line is the smartphone's 152-page user manual, without which, a user might be left dazed and confused. Apple also conducts tutorials at stores in the US for users to get over their iPhone 3G dilemmas. Other downers included 3G connectivity problems with regards to the Microsoft Exchange servers, and the touch-screen, which takes some getting used. All in all, the review finds Apple's iPhone 3G to be good, but not quite the perfect smartphone that woos every individual. But then, no device is perfect, and its usefulness is relative. It should be interesting learn about how the Indian masses rate this Apple product once it's launched with its full-fledged services here.

Brando Sells iPhone A2DP BT Transmitter Raise your hands those of you who have issues with the iPhone not being able to support more Bluetooth features? Go on, don’t be shy. I’m sure there are more than just a few of us who are mad as heck that for one thing that neither the iPhone nor the iPhone 3G supports. Stereo Bluetooth. But that was the past. The future is Brando’s iPhone compatible Bluetooth A2DP Transmitter. The device doesn’t require batteries as it runs on the handset’s power so no charging of any kind is required. It also supports AVRCP functionality and also has a small LED indicator. This device has been a long time coming. My biggest worry is that Apple will now expect third party manufacturers to go on making devices to make up for the iPhone’s shortcomings, instead of Apple making the adjustments themselves. I hope I’m wrong. The Bluetooth Transmitter is priced at $62 which would be just about Rs. 2,640 and is available from Brando. Courtesy : Tech2

^^^ @Vishal You are always welcome my dear friend. Sorry, I didn't updated the thread for quite a long time. From now on, I will update Golden Oldies regularly. Regards.

^^^ @Savramesh You have heard it very correct my dear friend, Mukesh Ambani Group is really using Airtel. Regards.

^^^ Hmmmm You are facing a very strange problem from the above handset my dear friend. Better you go for a new handset instead of sticking to it. Regards.

^^^ @Savramesh One of my friend is at L1 Plan and his unbilled info has increased a lot after using wap. So please take care even if you are the subscriber of L1 Plan. Regards.

^^^ @Venkiteswaran My dear friend, actually topic starter had edited the post after Akshat has asked that he didn't mentioned the platform. Earlier it was not mentioned in his post. Thats why Akshat asked for the same. And you had asked for the new connection of MTNL Garuda. Subscribing a new connection for Garuda is very easy and the cheapest. Just go to any MTNL exchange nearest to you. Ask them you want to subscribe for a New Prepaid Garuda. They will provide you the form, and you have to fulfill the formalities. After that you will get the Garuda RUIM only for Rs.175/- and you will get Rs.1500/- talktime free to call on MTNL networks to be used within 1 year. The above scheme is only beneficial to you if you have a separate blank handset. Otherwise you have to go for another scheme in which you have to pay Rs.1500/- and you will get a handset also. Please confirm about the recent offers from Garuda from the exchange for Delhi subscribers. Also check if the Garuda works in Gurgaon or not. As it is limited to Delhi Circle only. Regards.

GTL Infrastructure slips into red on high interest 18 Jul, 2008, 1816 hrs IST, PTI MUMBAI: Higher interest rates and investments made in projects have hit the first quarter numbers of telecom infrastructure company GTL Infrastructure. The company posted a loss of Rs 3.19 crore in the quarter ended June 30 as compared to a net profit of Rs 10.07 crore posted in the year-ago period. "Higher interest rates have hurt our earnings in this quarter. That apart, the company has been investing heavily in various infrastructure projects, which has also affected the net profit growth," a company spokesperson said here on Friday. The company has more than doubled the number of towers to 6,360 in Q1 FY 09 from about 3,000 in the year-ago period, a company release said. Total income during the quarter under review rose to Rs 46.26 crore from Rs 18.94 crore in the same period last year. The net sales for the quarter stood at Rs 45.76 crore, up from Rs 17.93 crore recorded in the year ago-period, the company said. The company plans to roll out a pan-India network of 23,700 cell sites in the next 3-4 years across 22 circles and is currently carrying out business operations in 16 telecom circles, it said.

Reliance Communications-MTN mutually end tie-up talks 18 Jul, 2008, 2123 hrs IST, ET NEW DELHI: Reliance Communications and South Africa's MTN on Friday mutually ended tie-up talks after Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries (RIL) on Thursday started arbitration proceedings against younger brother Anil's RCom to thwart the latter’s merger with Africa’s largest telco. RCom said that it is unable to presently conclude the deal due to regulatory issues. The No. 2 mobile carrier in the country has been in exclusive talks with MTN since late May to create a top-10 global telecoms group spanning about two dozen countries. But a claim by elder brother Mukesh of first right of refusal on Reliance Communications shares had complicated prospects for a deal. The dispute took a fresh turn on Thursday when Mukesh, who runs RIL started arbitration proceedings on the share claim. However, Reliance Communications investors on Friday shrugged off the latest twist in a family squabble clouding the group. A 45-day exclusivity period between RCom and MTN expired earlier this month and an extension was due to end on Monday. The talks have been overshadowed by the dispute and whether MTN would risk striking a deal which could then be beholden to India's judicial system.

Airtel rings in lowest capex 18 Jul, 2008, 0134 hrs IST, ET MUMBAI: Cellular operator major Bharti Airtel seems to compare favourably in the infrastructure cost or capex per subscriber, an indicator of a company’s operational efficiency. While the figure for Airtel is Rs 3,800 per user, the corresponding number for Idea Cellular is around Rs 4,800 per user and that for Reliance Communications is the highest at Rs 6,540. Bharti Airtel has been shaving costs to the bone through outsourcing networks management, IT as well as call centre operations. As telecom is a capital-intensive business with economies of scale, a low capex per subscriber leads to savings on interest and depreciation, which translates into higher profitability. During FY08, depreciation expenses were only 13% of net sales for Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular. The corresponding figure for RCOM was 15%. According to Accendia Consulting principal analyst Alok Shende, the difference in the capex expenditure between Bharti, Idea and RCOM and even other unlisted operators can be explained through the capex implementation model. He said for operators that have outsourced network management to the equipment vendors, the capital expenditure is only to the extent of voice minutes that are being consumed during a given quarter. On the other hand, for telcos doing it in-house, not only should the capital expenditure address the current demand, but also address anticipated demand. Hence, per capita capex is higher. “While the long-term cost of technology can almost be the same in in-house and outsourced model, the outsourcing model works better because its investments are made-to-order and it also avoids financial charges for unused capacity,” said Mr Shende. An analyst at a technology research firm said the higher capex for RCOM is the result of capacity build-up. “Over a period of time, when subscribers come on board, it may get levelled out. Also, Bharti and Idea seem to be holding back capex for impending 3G (third generation) services rollout,” he said. Companies create value by investing capital to earn returns more than the cost of the capital. Effective capex management maximises a company’s value and returns to shareholders, an industry analyst said.

iPhone 3G vs. BlackBerry Bold! Design-wise, the phones are quite dissimilar. The iPhone has the sleek, mimimalistic approach to design while the BlackBerry adds the already rich corporate touch to the phone with the excellent QWERTY keyboard and a great screen. Even though the approach to design is different, it's clear that the iPhone would take the crown easily had there been a beauty contest for phones. We did report some issues with the BlackBerry screen's build quality yesterday, though. The screen is easily scratched and does not inspire confidence like the sturdy and durable iPhone (in spite of its fragile-looking glass screen). As for the screen's functionality, the BlackBerry's 480x 320 screen trumps the iPhone anyday! It's brighter and better for everything from watching videos to photos. However, the larger size of the iPhone screen tilts the balance slightly in its favour. To answer the question of which screen is the best, the answer is clear - the BlackBerry Bold. The iPhone OS has been a dark horse of sorts. Even though it is based on the MAC OS, it lacks some basic features like copy-paste. That's a shame for a smartphone. But with the eye candy and functionality that the iPhone OS gives, it still takes the crown as one of the best smartphone platforms available today. As for the BlackBerry, it is well known that BlackBerry loyalists swear by it. But there is little change from the previous versions. To put it simply, you won't find a guy buying the Bold just for its OS. On the contrary, most people get the iPhone for that very reason. Moreover, the number of apps for the iPhone, with the App Store and the new SDK will increase exponentially. As BGR put it, "the iPhone wins over any other handset in the world in regards to applications." As for the other facets, no device can come close to the BlackBerry when it comes to email. Not even the iPhone with MobileMe and exchange server support. E-mail has always been RIMs domain and it seems it will be like that for quite some time. Call-quality wise, there is little to choose between the two. On a final note, it is clear that the Bold is an effort to enhance the multimedia abilities in a device known for its corporate affinity. The iPhone on the other hand is a consumer-friendly device which in its latest avatar is much more corporate-friendly. Courtesy : Techtree

COAI hits back, dismisses excess spectrum charge as ‘baseless’ 18 Jul, 2008, 0139 hrs IST, ET Bureau NEW DELHI: After Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and CDMA operators’ body AUSPI, it’s the turn of GSM operators to lobby with the prime minister. The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), the GSM operators’ lobby, has written to the PM, saying allegations of GSM players holding excess spectrum were “completely baseless and incorrect”. Mr Singh had earlier asked the prime minister that GSM operators be charged a one-time market fee for all the radio frequencies they hold over 6.2 MHz. The demand was forwarded to both the communication s and finance ministry by the PM’s Office (PMO). In its letter, the GSM operators’ association, Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), said, “The spectrum has been allocated under the guidelines framed as per terms and conditions laid down under licence. There has been no unauthorised allocation, as alleged... In fact the last order issued by the government in January 2008 stated that 15MHz is the “present upper limit for spectrum”.” This comes at a time when AUSPI, which had written to the PM alleging hoarding of spectrum by the GSM operators, moved telecom tribunal TDSAT on Thursday asking that excess spectrum be taken back from GSM operators and they should be charged for using the excess spectrum. Meanwhile, COAI, responding to allegations of spectrum ‘hoarding’ by GSM players, said, “Additional spectrum is given only after fully justifying the requirement for the same so the question of it not being used does not arise. Further, given that the operators are serving double the number of subscribers with only one fourth of the spectrum vis-à-vis their international counterparts, also belies this baseless and incorrect allegation.” The association also took a dig at the CDMA operators who have received start-up GSM spectrum. “It may be pointed out that the charge of hoarding spectrum can actually be applied in respect of some dual spectrum allocations, where the recipient got 4.4MHz spectrum on virtually an all-India basis, in a selective and preferential manner, de-linked from all requirements of justification and need and at the cost of several new licences that were awarded recently,” COAI said in its letter. The GSM operators’ body also asked the PM to ensure that any review of telecom licence condition should happen prospectively, and not retrospectively. “It would be extremely improper, incorrect and legally untenable for the policies of the government be re-written with retrospective effect,” it added.

DoT may nearly double number of 3G licences New Delhi July 18, 2008, 0:15 IST Ministry 'identifies' additional spectrum for 4 more players. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is examining a proposal to auction around nine licences for 3G — or third generation — services among incumbents and new players in place of an earlier proposal to allow five players in this space. This will be made possible because wireless experts in the ministry have reportedly identified bands for over 20 MHz of additional spectrum that would accommodate at least four more operators (each operator will be given 5MHz). The move could resolve the year-long controversy over scarcity of spectrum, the radio frequencies that enable wireless communication, for telecom services in general and 3G services in particular. Incumbent operators have been opposing DoT's decision to open the auction of 3G services — to provide high-speed access to the internet, entertainment, information and e-commerce — to new players including foreign telecom companies. They have argued that there is already enough competition, so allowing more players would only lead to over-bidding and unduly high licence fees that would make services expensive and unviable. DoT has already earmarked 25 MHz spectrum for 3G services on the 2.1 giga hertz band to be auctioned to five operators. Of this, one will be reserved for state-owned BSNL. Some spectrum is also available on other bands that can accommodate two CDMA operators, taking the total number to seven. But lack of equipment might deter the two incumbent CDMA players from taking this option. There are currently ten to 12 operators offering 2G services in each circle, including incumbents and companies that were recently granted licences and yet to start operations. Industry experts expect another three or four new players that want to enter India's rapidly growing mobile services market to bid for 3G licences. DoT had doubled the reserve price recommended by sector regulator TRAI for ‘A' category circles — Delhi and Mumbai — to Rs 160 crore. For ‘B' category circles — Chennai and Kolkata — the reserve price is Rs 80 crore. For the ‘C' category, it is Rs 30 crore. The government had expected to earn around Rs 20,000 crore from 3G auctions. With more licences available, operators may lower their bids, but the revenue generated from them will be much higher than initial government targets.

No plans to sell stake to third party: Maxis 11 Jul, 2008, 2231 hrs IST, PTI CHENNAI: Malaysian-based Maxis Communications, which holds 74 per cent stake in Aircel Cellular Ltd, on Friday submitted before the Madras High Court that it had no plans to sell its stake to any third party across the globe. The above submission was made before Justice Chitra Venkataraman after Siva Ventures Limited, another stakeholder of Aircel, filed a petition, seeking to restrain Maxis from selling its stake to any other party. Recording the submission, the judge observed that the court does not find any necessity to consider the petition praying for an interim injunction. Siva Ventures in its petition, quoting media reports and other industry sources, had submitted that Maxis was discussing a sale of 74 per cent of its stake in Aircel to US telecom giant AT&T, which was detrimental to the interests of the company.