Govt Cuts Nld, Ild Licence Fee

[abhay 0]

Telecom call tariffs in India are expected to plunge significantly, with the government on Thursday cutting the licence fee for offering national and international long distance services to a uniform Rs 2.5 crore from the existing Rs 100 crore and Rs 25 crore respectively.

The full Telecom Commission, which met here on Thursday, also drastically reduced revenue share to 6 per cent from the existing 15 per cent.

"I expect call tariffs to drop by at least nine per cent immediately," Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran told reporters after the meeting.

ADC + LICENCE FEE man ARPU's gonna fall hahahah

EDIT :- http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1291216.cms

DAMM i 4get to add these every second post :'(

Edited November 10, 2005 by abhay

[linuxguy 0]

Heh, calls at 80p per minute would be a dream for us!

[raccoon 53]

But we already have 80 p calls on 360 RIM voucher?! ....Or I guess its not available in your circle?

[kams19 0]

yesterday i read on scroller of Zee News, India One to be effective Jan 2006..

[abc123 0]

Yes india one will be effecitve form Jan 06.................... tht will be announced latter...... soo waiting for some good news

[abhay 0]

i have any local RS 50 p! and sms 50 P all over india! i think i'll be calling @ 30 p after the new ADC COMES in

[abhay 0]

ISD, STD tariffs will reduce by 9%

It'll soon be time to step up those long-distance communications. Come January,  tariffs  for ISD and STD calls are set to drop by at least 9%, following the government’s decision to slash licence fees.

The department of telecommunications (DoT ) today announced a reduction in the annual licence fee for ISD and STD licences to 6%, from 15% of the revenue, lowering one-time entry licence fees for new STD operators to Rs 2.5 crore from the existing 100 crore and for new ISD operators to Rs 2.5 crore from Rs 25 crore.

The DoT also announced that the fixed-line telecom operators can provide internet telephony. The new licence conditions would be applicable from January 1, ‘06.

As first reported by ET on August 17, the annual licence fee for international long distance (ILD) and national long distance (NLD) has been reduced to 6% of the adjusted gross revenue. If ILD and NLD operators pass on the benefits to the consumers, the tariffs would be reduced by 9%.

Currently, a one-minute call for Airtel subscribers is priced at Rs 14.2. From January 1, it will be reduced by Rs 1.5 to Rs 12.7 per minute. Similarly, a one-minute call from Delhi to Chennai would be reduced from Rs 2.6 to Rs 2.4.

“We expect that the consumer would be benefited from the reduced licence fee,” said the Union communications minister Dayanidhi Maran. Said Sunil Mittal, chairman of Bharti Televentures, “This will benefit the customer and it is a step towards driving the growth of telecommunications in the country.”

Currently, there are only four NLD operators — BSNL, Reliance, Tata and Bharti — and only three ILD operators — Reliance, Tata and Bharti. Once the one-time entry fee is reduced to Rs 2.5 crore, there will be a large number of NLD and ILD operators in the field. Most of the access providers would like to carry their own ILD traffic.

While companies like Gail, Railtel, and PGCIL would like to become NLD operators, they have their own fibre networks. Currently, they have the infrastructure provider’s licence. Now, it will be mandatory for them to migrate to the NLD licence. This would further reduce prices.

DoT has also reduced the networth requirement criteria for NLD licences to Rs 2.5 crore from Rs 2,500 crore. It has done away with all the rollout obligations. Currently, NLD operators are required to set up networks in each long distance charging area. This increases the network cost.

Currently, NLD and ILD service providers cannot access subscribers directly for provision of leased line and closed user groups (CUG). In order to facilitate promotion of the BPO industry, DoT has permitted them to offer leased lines to subscribers.

DoT has also allowed access providers to offer internet telephony. Currently, telecom operators can offer only PC-to-PC internet telephony for STD calls, while for ISD calls one can make PC to telephone calls. Now, subscribers would be able to make internet telephony calls from telephone handsets to telephone handsets. However, the handsets that are used in internet telephony are very expensive.

DoT has also announced the reduction of annual licence fees for VSAT services to 6% from 15%. This will benefit companies like Hughes and Essel Shyam.

Says TV Ramachandran, DG, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) “We averred that the lower entry fee for STD and ISD would facilitate easy access into the long-distance segment, which, in turn, would lead to a plurality of long-distance players, help expand the scale and availability of services and ensure a further fall in tariffs for STD calls.”

EDIT :-

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1291561.cms

Fixed-line operators can provide internet telephony

Apart from the planned cut in annual fee for ISD and STD licences, the DoT has altered a few more norms.

As first reported by ET on August 17, the annual licence fee for international long distance (ILD) and national long distance (NLD) has been reduced to 6% of the adjusted gross revenue. If ILD and NLD operators pass on the benefits to the consumers, the tariffs would be reduced by 9%.

Currently, a one-minute call for Airtel subscribers is priced at Rs 14.2. From January 1, it will be reduced by Rs 1.5 to Rs 12.7 per minute. Similarly, a one-minute call from Delhi to Chennai would be reduced from Rs 2.6 to Rs 2.4.

“We expect that the consumer would be benefited from the reduced licence fee,” said the Union communications minister Dayanidhi Maran. Said Sunil Mittal, chairman of Bharti Televentures, “This will benefit the customer and it is a step towards driving the growth of telecommunications in the country.”

Currently, there are only four NLD operators — BSNL, Reliance, Tata and Bharti — and only 3 ILD operators — Reliance, Tata and Bharti. Once the one-time entry fee is reduced to Rs 2.5 crore, there will be a large number of NLD and ILD operators in the field. Most access providers would like to carry their own ILD traffic.

While companies like Gail, Railtel, and PGCIL would like to become NLD operators, they have their own fibre networks. Currently, they have the infrastructure provider’s licence. Now, it will be mandatory for them to migrate to the NLD licence. This would further reduce prices.

DoT has also reduced the networth requirement criteria for NLD licences to Rs 2.5 crore from Rs 2,500 crore. It has done away with all the rollout obligations. Currently, NLD operators are required to set up networks in each long distance charging area. This increases the network cost.

Currently, NLD and ILD service providers cannot access subscribers directly for provision of leased line and closed user groups (CUG). In order to facilitate promotion of the BPO industry, DoT has permitted them to offer leased lines to users.

DoT has also allowed access providers to offer internet telephony. Currently, telecom operators can offer only PC-to-PC internet telephony for STD calls, while for ISD calls one can make PC to telephone calls.

Now, subscribers would be able to make internet telephony calls from telephone handsets to telephone handsets. However, the handsets that are used in internet telephony are very expensive.

DoT has announced the reduction of licence fees for VSAT services to 6% from 15%. This will benefit companies like Hughes and Essel Shyam. Says TV Ramachandran, DG, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)

“We averred that the lower entry fee for STD and ISD would facilitate easy access into the long-distance segment, which, in turn, would lead to a plurality of long-distance players, help expand the scale and availability of services and ensure a fall in tariffs for STD calls.”

EDIT :-

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articl...596,curpg-1.cms

Cellular players jubiliant over government policy decision

The country's cellular players today welcomed as a ''historic announcement'' the government's decision to slash license fee for players wishing to enter domestic and international long distance operations.

The apex body reperesenting celullar operators in the country, COAI said that it ''heartily welcomes the historic announcements made by the Minister for Communications Dayanidhi Maran to lower the entry barrier for long distance services to Rs 2.5 crore, waive roll out obligations for long distance services and to bring down the annual license fees to 6 per cent of revenues (including 5 per cent contribution to USO) for all telecom services''.

This laudable initiative brings India in line with international practices and norms and will give a vital push to the telecom reforms process and will spur the next phase of telecom revolution in the country, leading to exponential growth in subscribers as well as traffic volumes, it said.

Mr TV Ramachandran, Director General COAI, said the lower entry fee for NLD and ILD would facilitate easy access into long distance segment, which in turn would lead to a plurality of long distance players, help expand the scale and availability of services and ensure further fall in tariffs for STD calls.

He said the initiative would also help usher in the Minister's vision of ''One India'', making long distance calling even more affordable and attractive for consumers, leading to the death of distance and ensuring that the ''long distance revolution'' filters down to the common man in each and every corner of the country.

The waiver of rollout obligations also represented a recognition that the telecom market now had the depth and the maturity to drive rollout of networks and connectivity across the length and breadth of the country, without being mandated to do so. Rollout will now be driven by the demands of the market and the needs of the consumers, he said Mr Ramachandran also warmly welcomed the reduction in the annual license fees to 6 per cent of revenues.

EDIT :-

http://www.deepika.com/english/ENG5_sub.as...NG5&subcatcode=

Edited November 11, 2005 by abhay

[linuxguy 0]

what scheme are you using? Is your monthly bill over 400 bucks? I want some scheme where by i wont exceed my monthly bill over 300bucks! The cost of calling landlines is huge!

[abhay 0]

what scheme are you using? Is your monthly bill over 400 bucks? I want some scheme where by i wont exceed my monthly bill over 300bucks! The cost of calling landlines is huge!

46606[/snapback]

this one is in airtel!

celebrations 299

monthly rental = 300

monthly commitment = 0

clip = free

total monthly fixed charges = 300

local calls to any landline/GSM/CDMA - 50 p

sms all over india - 50p

i think this is specially customized for local calls

std i dont know coz i never dial STD from airtel! reliance is cheaper than any other phone in STD! specially when its free

EDIT :-

there is another local sheme in MTNL dolphin thats good but*

PLAN D

GSM/CDMA = 30p

landline = 50p

sms = ?

std = ?

monthly rental = 300

monthly min commitment = 700

total monthy fixed charges = 1000 RS

only for those whose bills exeed RS 1000/month

* the NETWORK ****Z BIG TIME! used it tried it! its terrible! use it on ur own risk types and u always have to keep a backup phone with u if ur using it

any better plan for local callz ! please inform me! localcallz have made my bill go zoooooooommm

Edited November 11, 2005 by abhay

[ashoksoft 83]

I still love RIM coz of that 440 voucher .... trust me ... if u are working in a odd houred job, and make calls to ur girl for hours on end ... nothing like reliance.

Have a dolphin connection also ... I have plan-G, which is now withdrawn, 40 ps to any local number... sms at 25 ps anywhere accross the country, std at 2.00 anywhere!

Cheers

Ashok

[abhay 0]

I still love RIM coz of that 440 voucher .... trust me ... if u are working in a odd houred job, and make calls to ur girl for hours on end ... nothing like reliance.

Have a dolphin connection also ... I have plan-G, which is now withdrawn, 40 ps to any local number... sms at 25 ps anywhere accross the country, std at 2.00 anywhere!

Cheers

Ashok

46621[/snapback]

how much was the monthly rental and commitment

Net telephony, STD bills cost U same

If you are too excited over government’s allowing landline firms like Bharti and MTNL to offer Internet telephony within India, don’t be. Telecom experts say that it won’t make too much difference to your STD bills.

They said opening up of domestic Net telephony has come at least two years late. Reason: STD rates have fallen so drastically over past couple of years that the tariff difference that Net telephony (as against the circuit switched landlines that we have at home) offered a few years ago, is no longer possible.

A Delhi-Mumbai call already costs about Rs 2.40 a minute. In certain cases, it is even less. After the government’s aggressive opening up of the long distance (STD/ISD) sector on Thursday, and its plans to introduce OneIndia plan by January, there could be a flat rate of Rs 1.50 or lower for STD calls across the country.

This situation is expected to leave little marg in for companies to offer any major price differential between regular STD calls and domestic Internet telephony calls.

‘‘There is nothing much to get very excited about this development,’’ said Badri Agarwal, president of Bharti’s landline and broadband business. ‘‘At the most, the net cost difference to an operator (and hence to the customer) could be just about 10-15%.’’

Jasjit Sawhney of Net4India, which offers Internet telephony service for international calls, was of the view that the development might not be attractive enough for his company to look at STD licence. Sawhney said new norms might encourage Net4India to seek ISD licence, an area where there is still a big tariff difference between circuit switched and Internet telephony. For instance, a call from Bharti or MTNL landline phone costs Rs 7.20 a minute, but on Net4India’s Net calling card it costs around Rs 3.

(Experts say that even in this case the big difference is more on account of revenue-share fee, a ccess deficit charge and taxes and not because of use of technology or Internet Protocol.)

New STD/ISD norms seek to impose 6% revenue-share fee on ISPs (Internet service providers) for providing international Internet telephony.

Said Kobita Desai of Gartner, ‘‘Freeing up of domestic Internet telephony a few years ago, when STD call rates were about Rs 9 would have had a stronger impact.’’

EDIT :-

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1292876.cms

Edited November 12, 2005 by abhay

[linuxguy 0]

abhay, the plan that you showed (airtel), i know it. But it doesnt have any FREE talk time :| And you're right Dolphin (MTNL) network s**ks. Thats why I shifted to Orange . It aint any better cuz I get dropped calls and poor network at my place anywayz. But it works great everywhere else

[abhay 0]

abhay, the plan that you showed (airtel), i know it. But it doesnt have any FREE talk time :| And you're right Dolphin (MTNL) network s**ks. Thats why I shifted to Orange . It aint any better cuz I get dropped calls and poor network at my place anywayz. But it works great everywhere else

46653[/snapback]

airtel and reliance have a good network in mumbai! though airtel is F****ed in trains and many other places!

[Chirag 5]

Abhay, I hope u r aware of RIM's Mumbai Circle Scheme? What u talk abt Airtel, is all in that scheme!!

Check out JOY 299 for Mumbai

http://www.relianceinfo.com/Infocomm/Rim/r...ional_plan.html

[linuxguy 0]

Buy guys you havent answered my BASIC question! They dont have any FREE talk time! or do they?!

[abhay 0]

Abhay, I hope u r aware of RIM's Mumbai Circle Scheme? What u talk abt Airtel, is all in that scheme!!

Check out JOY 299 for Mumbai

http://www.relianceinfo.com/Infocomm/Rim/r...ional_plan.html

46752[/snapback]

kooooooooollll thankzzz! man dint knew this scheme existed!

these reliance ppl ! dey neva advertise their schemes! i switched to AIRTEL coz no scheme was avaliable in reliance or even if it existed reliance dint advertise their scheme ! man this ****z

Buy guys you havent answered my BASIC question! They dont have any FREE talk time! or do they?!

46777[/snapback]

nah dude no free talktime! but there is another scheme in the link which chirag provided which i think may suit u Joy 395 ZR its has complete free talktime of 395 and 50 ps calls to mobiles

NLDO operators explore legal battle

Strange as it may appear, but the powerful National Long Distance Telecom Operators providing STD and ISD services are exploring possibilities of challenging the Government's latest decision to cut licence fee and revenue share.

What has irked the key NLDO players was the decision, announced by the Communication Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to dispense with roll out obligations, in tandem with the cut in licence fee to Rs 2.5 crore from the earlier Rs 100 crore for NLD and Rs 25 crore for ISD services.

Amid the process of formulation of new norms, Maran had hit out at these players -- VSNL, Bharti and Reliance Infocomm for forming a "cartel" to prevent new players from entering the segment.

Even though the three rejected the charge, they had jointly approached the Government on the issue and sought a compensation of Rs 2,800 crore from the Centre, in case, the licence fee was cut and doing away with the obligation of roll out when they have pumped in thousands of crores.

Their plea, however, was rejected by the Department of Telecom.

While there was no official word about the consultation among the three players on the new move, a VSNL official said "we have not intiated anything on this."

well this ****z

EDIT :-

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1293718.cms

Edited November 13, 2005 by abhay

[linuxguy 0]

nah dude no free talktime! but there is another scheme in the link which chirag provided which i think may suit u Joy 395 ZR its has complete free talktime of 395 and 50 ps calls to mobiles

Hmm...Nothing lower than that? May be a Rs.250 plan with say Rs.200 free talktime?

[abhay 0]

Tatas may apply NLD licence in '06

Taking advantage of a low entry barrier, Tata Teleservices is likely to apply for National Long Distance licence in January when the recently announced new licence fee of Rs 2.5 crore takes effect.

With the entry costs so low we are considering going in for a long distance licence and we may apply in January when the new fee cut announcement takes effect, said Tata Teleservices President (North India operations) Naresh Malhan.

The other Tata company, VSNL has both NLD and ILD licence and Tata Teleservices' decision to enter NLD market on its own is purely driven by the low-cost entry fee and the anticipated demand in the surge in STD volume following the reduction in licence fee and revenue share to 6 per cent from 15 per cent.

Malhan also said the company is eyeing to cover the entire 23 circles by end of next year. At present Tata Teleservices is busy with expansion of networks in its existing 20 circles.

"We plan to cover 3,000 towns by June next year from the current 1,700 towns", he said.

Tata Telservices has added 8.69 lakh new subscribers in November on the back of its new scheme "non-stop mobile, free incoming for two years" launched recently.

The company has now set an ambitious target of reaching the mark of nine million mobile subscribers by the end of 2005 from little over 7.1 million now.

Tata Teleservices is part of the 17.10 billion dollar Tata Group, that has over 90 companies. With an investment of over Rs 9,000 crore ($2 billion) in Telecom, the Group has a strong presence across the telecom value chain.

The investment in Tata Teleservices Limited (including Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited as of March 2005 totals Rs 14,446 crores ($3.21 billion).

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articl...536,curpg-1.cms