Global News Post: Telecommunication

INDIA: Mobile Phone Makers Dial Overseas to Expand Business

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">KOLKATA, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Faced with severe competition within India, many mobile phone handset brands are exploring opportunities overseas, business analyst said Wednesday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">"Some Indian companies have established themselves as preferred low-cost handset brands. Scaling up shipments will enable them to have a sustainable local manufacturing facility," China's Xinhua news agency quoted Faisal Kawoosa, Analyst, Cyber Media Research, as saying on Wednesday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Marketers like Karbonn, Maxx and Micromax have already ventured into neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. They are now looking for greener pastures in West Asia, Latin America and Commonwealth of Independent States. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Micromax is one of the largest selling Indian brands within the country and has already entered into the high-end handset markets of Saudi Arabia and Brazil. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Now it plans to enter Mexico and Argentina this year. The company has already carried out pilot projects in Nigeria and is now gearing up to launch tablets, handsets and datacards. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Karbonn Mobiles is the second largest brand, after Samsung, in Nepal. Now it is planning to expand its operations to West Asia, Latin America and the CIS. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">"Global operations account for 10 percent of our revenues," said Sashin Devsare, Executive Director, Karbonn Maxx Mobiles, with a manufacturing facility at Hardwar in India's northern state of Uttarakhand, which has already entered Hong Kong, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Fiji Islands. The company plans to expand its operations to Africa and Russia by August. The company has a sales office in Hong Kong to take care of overseas operations. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Most of the mobile manufacturers are opposed to the telecom carrier model in which handsets and talk plans are given together by mobile operators and they have come up with their own distribution networks in matured markets such as West Asia and Latin America. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Vikas Jain, Business Director, Micromax Informatics, said, "In most countries, we enter into distribution agreements with some regional distributor. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">We intend to compliment the operators' strategies." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Hemant Joshi, Partner, Deloitte Haskins and Sales, felt that once the euphoria over the international foray subsides, it was for the vendors to provide "something different" and a more value-added product than those already available in these markets. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: Mobile Phone Makers Dial Overseas to Expand Business

KOLKATA, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Faced with severe competition within India, many mobile phone handset brands are exploring opportunities o...

INDIA: Telcom Airtel under Probe for Money Laundering

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI): The Directorate of Enforcement is investigating India’s largest telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel, for money laundering, Minister of State for Finance SS Palanimanickam said in Rajya Sabha (Upper House). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The directorate of enforcement is investigating cases under the provisions of prevention of money laundering act, 2002 and foreign exchange management act, 1999 involving Bharti Airtel Ltd,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, he declined to give details of investigations as “It may not be in the interest of the ongoing investigations to provide any further details.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A Bharti Airtel spokesperson said: “Bharti Airtel maintains the highest standards of corporate governance and regulatory compliance and has always complied will all norms. We have provided all relevant details asked for by the authorities in this matter.” Bharti shares closed 1.3% down at Rs. 303.50 on the BSE. -NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: Telcom Airtel under Probe for Money Laundering

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI): The Directorate of Enforcement is investigating India’s largest telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel, for money l...

Men & Women in India Spend 81 Hours A Month on Smartphones

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> By M.Saraswathi <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- In India, which has the world’s second-largest mobile phone users, men and women spend 81 hours a month on their smartphone devices. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, there are sharp contrasts in how they use their devices, men likes browsing, women texting. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nielsen Informate Mobile Insight revealed that women spend 25 per cent of the time on calls and messaging, 19 per cent browsing, 29 per cent online applications and 27 per cent offline activities. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Men, meanwhile, spend 50 per cent more time browsing the web. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Men use 28 per cent of the time to browse, 37 per cent on offline activities, 19 per cent on calls and messaging and 16 per cent on online applications,” the study shows. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As of January, India had over 903 million mobile phone users. It has the world’s third largest Internet users with over 121 million as of December 2011. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The average number of websites visited by men is 20 in a month compared to just 14 among women. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, women prefer social sites more than men as 43 per cent of web pages visited by women are social networking sites, compared to just 32 per cent for men, said Nielsen. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Men also experiment more with apps -- they install, on an average, 16 applications in a month compared to just 11 by women. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nevertheless, women use online apps substantially higher compared to men, driven mainly by chat apps such as WhatsApp Messenger (which women use three times as much as men), Google Talk and Nimbuzz. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Men however, don’t mind asking for directions on their smartphones, accessing the Google Maps app more than women. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Men & Women in India Spend 81 Hours A Month on Smartphones

By M.Saraswathi NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- In India, which has the world’s second-largest mobile phone users, men and women spend...

Indian Minister Chidambaram Denies Family Having Stake in Any Telecom Company

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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-UNI) -- Home Minister P Chidambaram today categorically denied that he or any member of his family had acquired any stake in any telecom company.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Responding to the allegations of the agitated Members of the Opposition made earlier in the day in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) about he and his familiy's role in the 2G scam, the Home Minister said it was unfortunate that the Parliamentary platform was being misused for making wild allegations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The furore that was created in the House during the Zero Hour, however, continued while the Home Minister was replying, Provoking him to remark "why are you afraid now to listen to the reply."--NNN-UNI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Indian Minister Chidambaram Denies Family Having Stake in Any Telecom Company

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-UNI) -- Home Minister P Chidambaram today categorically denied that he or any member of his family had acquired an...

India: Regulatory Uncertainty to Impact Telecom's Future - Bharti

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI): Recent regulatory developments, which have led to huge uncertainty, could have significant implications for the future of telecom sector and impact India's global competitiveness, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal said on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"The recent regulatory developments in India will have significant implications on the future of telephony and broadband, as well as India's global competitiveness," Mittal said in a release announcing the company's results for FY'12.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Meanwhile, Bharti Enterprises Deputy Group CEO and MD Akhil Gupta told reporters here at a conference, "This was perhaps the most disturbed year (2011-12) on the regulatory front...The uncertainty not only continues but it is huge."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Gupta said the government should take pro-customer and pro-industry decisions with regard to the spectrum pricing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The comments follow the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recently issuing recommendations for the sale of spectrum, after the Supreme Court order that cancelled 122 licences for 2G (second-generation) telephony.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Trai has suggested a base price of Rs. 3,622 crore for a megahertz (MHz) of pan-India spectrum, which is around 10 times higher than the price at which 2G licences bundled with 4.4 Mhz spectrum were allocated in 2008 under the then Telecom Minister A Raja.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">According to Trai, a minimum of 5 Mhz spectrum should be allotted, which means that pan-India airwaves in 1800 MHz band will cost Rs. 18,000 crore.-NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Regulatory Uncertainty to Impact Telecom's Future - Bharti

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI): Recent regulatory developments, which have led to huge uncertainty, could have significant implications for the fut...

India: The Telecom Regulator Launches Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">New Delhi (PIB) ---</span> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today launched a facility to monitor complaints from telecom consumers. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Called Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System (TCCMS) portal www.tccms.gov.in, it would facilitate the telecom consumers in locating the “Consumer Care Number”, “General Information Number” and contact details of the complaint centre and Appellate Authority of their service provider. The portal would also help access the website of their service provider’s complaint monitoring portal to track the current status of their complaints or appeals lodged with their service provider complaint centre or Appellate Authority.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This portal will also help TRAI in monitoring the status of redressal of complaints lodged by the consumers with the service providers.  It is felt that this portal will help enhance the effectiveness of the grievance redressal mechanism.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: The Telecom Regulator Launches Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System

New Delhi (PIB) --- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today launched a facility to monitor complaints from telecom consumers. ...

India: Telecom Penetration in Rural Areas

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">New Delhi (PIB) --- The Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology MILIND DEORA, informed Rajya Sabha that at present the rural tele-density is approximately 38% as compared to urban tele-density of 168%. Under the Report of the Working Group on the Telecom Sector for the 12th Five Year Plan, for increasing telecom penetration in rural areas, following are proposed: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Mobile access to all villages and rural density of at least 60% by 2017. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Completion of National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Initiate necessary policy changes for encouraging the sharing of active and passive infrastructure in order to address the various infrastructure issues related to rural areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Development of Broadband kiosks, on the lines of STD PCOs, in the rural areas to provide easy access to rural people to Broadband services. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Encouragement for use of facilities like m-banking and e-governance projects. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Development of low cost customer premises equipment and application in regional languages. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is, therefore expected that rural areas of the country will offer high growth opportunity in the 12th Five Year Plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The cellular Operators Association of India has suggested the following for consideration: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Ensuring provision of Low cost Handset. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Development of Regional Content.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Affordability of service through rationalization of levies and duties. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Reduction in Universal Service Obligation (USO) Levy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Financial inclusion through Mobile Banking. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Automating Government Services and Government Service delivery mechanism. <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Telecom Penetration in Rural Areas

New Delhi (PIB) --- The Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology MILIND DEORA, informed Rajya Sabha that at presen...

India: Low-Cost Smartphones Whet Indian Appetite for Mobile Apps

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NEW DELHI (NNN-IANS) -- Be it playing Angry Bird or watching movies on the go, a rise in the number of low-cost smartphones has enabled young Indians to access mobile applications like never before.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">According to search engine giant Google, around 40 million Indians access the Internet through their mobile phones and there are 30 million apps download in one week. A combined survey by global market research firm IPSOS and Google found the 18-29 age-group using smartphones the most.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"Availability of smart and feature-rich phones at low cost, low telecom tariffs and flexibility of accessing the services on the go have made mobile apps all the more popular in a price sensitive country like India," Amit Sachdeva, partner, business advisory firm Ernst & Young (E&Y), told IANS.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Low-cost smartphones in the Indian market are available at a price as low as Rs.5, 000.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"Launch of 3G services has become an added advantage. The sector will witness a boom once 4G and LTE (long term evolution) services are launched as well," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">According to Sachdeva, the most popular apps in India are the entertainment apps such as games, music and Bollywood followed by social networking and utility services that include paying off electricity bills and job search.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The e-commerce segment is fast gaining popularity with services. Deals and discounts are being accepted across the country. And mobile banking, which has a long way to go owing to security concerns, would soon draw customers in large numbers, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Data collated by IT research firm CyberMedia showed the smartphone sales in India surged 87 percent at 11.2 million units in 2011 over the previous year as almost 150 models were launched by more than 30 vendors.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unlike earlier days when pre-loaded apps like social media and music applications were mostly used, people are now buying games, said Virat Khutal, chief operating officer, mobile apps development firm Twist Mobile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Instead of spending Rs.150 or more in buying tickets for a movie which would end in three hours, youngsters these days think why not buy an app which would be available with you all the time even while you are on the move, said Khutal.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">According to Ditto TV, a Zee Group company which earlier this week launched its services in India, there has been a paradigm shift in the way Indians consume information.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"The need to be mobile has become an indispensable one and the role of internet-enabled devices paramount," said Vishal Malhotra, business head, New Media, Zee Business Enterprises.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"We are seeing a substantial response to mobile devices that allow users to have access anywhere, anytime. This has spurred the growth of applications which has developed into a full-fledged market," he told IANS.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The firm is bullish about the Indian apps market and is planning to tap an audience ready for entertainment on the go.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"We are looking at a subscriber base of one million users by the end of our first year," Malhotra said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ditto TV provides live channel-agnostic TV content and would soon incorporate features such as catch-up TV by which users will be able to share information related to shows, content that they like. -- NNN-IANS<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Low-Cost Smartphones Whet Indian Appetite for Mobile Apps

NEW DELHI (NNN-IANS) -- Be it playing Angry Bird or watching movies on the go, a rise in the number of low-cost smartphones has enabled yo...

2 Foreign Telecom Companies Close Shop in India

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Anjana Pasricha from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New   Delhi</st1:place></st1:city><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Two foreign telecommunication companies have decided to close down their Indian operations after the Supreme Court canceled their licenses following a corruption probe. The cancellations have led to uncertainty among foreign investors, but many analysts feel <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s telecommunication sector still offers potential. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Abu Dhabi-based Etisalat says it is shutting down its Indian joint venture because the cancellation of its license will prevent it from operating its mobile phone business. Etisalat is also suing its Indian partner for fraud.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Etisalat said it wants to avoid incurring further costs at a time of rapid change and uncertainty in the Indian telecommunication sector. It paid $890 million for its stake in the Indian mobile operation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Another foreign communications firm, Bahrain Telecommunication, said it too is quitting <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The two companies are among foreign investors who entered <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s fast-growing mobile phone sector after buying licenses from their Indian partners. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">These licenses were awarded by the government to domestic companies in 2008. But earlier this month, the Supreme Court revoked the licenses, citing alleged fraud and irregularities in awarding them. It has been billed as <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s biggest corruption scandal, costing the government $39 billion.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Independent telecommunication analyst, Girish Trivedi, says the development has unnerved investors, who complain they invested billions of dollars to buy government-issued licenses.   <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“If there is a regulatory flip-flop and lack of consistency, there will always be confusion if you are a foreign institutional investor," Trivedi said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions in terms of what will happen next, how does the new policy come into picture.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">However, analysts say the huge potential of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s mobile phone sector could still be attractive enough to draw some foreign investors. <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> is the world’s second largest mobile market after <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>, with more than 890 million subscribers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Trivedi says the fast pace at which new users were added in recent years may be slowing down. But he says many of these subscribers will begin to use cell phones for more applications in years to come.      <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“If you look at the potential in terms of services, we are still a voice market," Trivedi said. "There are a lot of opportunities around value added services, data services, which can be explored in times to come.”   <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Telecommunication Minister Kapil Sibal expressed hope that foreign investors will take part in an auction for new licenses that the government plans to hold. At least one foreign company, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Norway</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s Telenor, has indicated it may bid for fresh licenses although it has dumped its local partner.<span class="apple-style-span"> ---VOA News</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

2 Foreign Telecom Companies Close Shop in India

By Anjana Pasricha from New Delhi Two foreign telecommunication companies have decided to close down their Indian operations after the ...

India: 2G Spectrum Scam- Etisalat to Shut Operations in India, 1.67 Million Subscribers Affected

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI</span></st1:city><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-Bernama) -- UAE-based Etisalat has decided to shut down its <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> operations on Wednesday after the Supreme Court on Feb 2 cancelled 15 licences held by its joint venture Etisalat DB, as part of an investigation into the grant of 2G spectrum allocation scam, according to Press Trust of India (PTI). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Etisalat board's decision, which was unanimous, will affect about 1.67 million subscribers that Etisalat DB has, mostly in northern <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>; they will get 30 days to transfer to a different service provider. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In addition, all of Etisalat DB employees will be laid off, said a statement emailed to PTI. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In a statement issued late on Wednesday, the company said it was pulling out "to avoid incurring further costs at this time of rapid change and continued uncertainty in the Indian telecommunications sector". <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The company added in its statement that it would make a decision on whether to reenter the Indian market “when there is clarity on the auction process and telecommunications policy and greater legal and regulatory certainty and stability”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Etisalat, which operated in India through a joint venture with real estate major DB Group, earlier this month booked an impairment charge of US$827 million on its Indan operations, leading to a 24 per cent drop in its net profit. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Etisalat will also seek a refund from the Department of Telecom. In 2008, Etisalat bought a 45 percent stake in Swan Telecom for US$900 million. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">At the time, Swan was promoted by DB Realty. Etisalat said in its statement that: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The factors behind the Supreme Court judgment are based on actions that took place long before Etisalat entered the Indian market and considered investing in Swan Telecom." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Etisalat board has nominated new members to oversee the closure of its Indian operations, which is expected to be completed by June 2, 2012. -- NNN-BERNAMA <o:p></o:p></span></div></div> <br />
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India: 2G Spectrum Scam- Etisalat to Shut Operations in India, 1.67 Million Subscribers Affected

NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- UAE-based Etisalat has decided to shut down its India operations on Wednesday after the Supreme Court on Feb ...

2G: Norwegian Minister Meets Indian Communication Minister Discusses Telco Issue

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI  (NNN-IANS) -- Continuing with the diplomatic drive to secure state-owned Telenor's $3 billion investment in India, a key Norwegian minister met Communications Minister Kapil Sibal Tuesday and raised her government's concerns on the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Oslo-based telecom firm Telenor, which operates under the brand name Uninor, stands to lose all its licences following the Supreme Court's order to the Indian government last week to cancel all 122 licences issued in 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We had good, fruitful and constructive meeting with telecom minister. We took up Telenor's case along with other issues," <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rigmor Aasrud</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Norway</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s minister of government administration, reform and Church affairs, who also oversees telecom portfolio, told reporters after the meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The talks took place even as Uninor Monday said it would consider a review of the Supreme Court order and also bid for the spectrum only if certain conditions were met, including restricting older players from participating in the auction.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Talking to reporters Monday, Aasrud said, "Telenor has not done anything wrong in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>. That is, as I understand, that the court has made a decision about how the government handled all the licenses."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sigve Brekke, the managing director of Uninor, made it clear that the company, with all the support from the parent company and the government of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region>, intended to fight for its rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"If you ask me if I am angry and upset, the answer is yes. I am angry and upset. It's very clear we are unfairly harmed. We are not to be blamed for something that happened in the past," Brekke said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We are trying to work on all different tools we have. Of course, also working on legal options. It's possible to sit down and talk and we have started talks with both the government and the regulator," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Uninor boasts of having 40 million subscribers across the country. -- NNN-IANS<o:p></o:p></span></div></div> <br />
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2G: Norwegian Minister Meets Indian Communication Minister Discusses Telco Issue

NEW DELHI (NNN-IANS) -- Continuing with the diplomatic drive to secure state-owned Telenor's $3 billion investment in India, a key No...

India: Telecoms Minister Meets PM, Finance Minister to Discuss 2G Verdict

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology,  Kapil Sibal addressing a press conference, in New Delhi on February 02, 2012. The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office, V. Narayanasamy, the Secretary (Telecommunications), R. Chandrashekhar and the Principal Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, Smt. Neelam Kapur are also seen</span></i><span dir="RTL"></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span></i><span dir="LTR"></span><i><span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Photo: PIB<o:p></o:p></span></i></div></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">NEW DELHI</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> (NNN-AGENCIES) -- Soon after the Indian Supreme Court's verdict Thursday cancelling 2G licences to telecom firms, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal went in an overdrive trying to ascertain how to salvage the situation for the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Sibal met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the government's plan of action.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Talking to media persons after the meeting, a visibly tense telecom minister said the judgment was not an indictment of the prime minister or the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"The prime minister was in no way responsible, neither the then finance minister was responsible for the irregularities," Sibal said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his response said the government would examine the verdict.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"You know the Supreme Court judgment has come. We have to examine the judgement and its implications. The government will examine it," Mukherjee told reporters.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Supreme Court Thursday cancelled all 122 licences issued to telecom firms in 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">However, the apex court has given four months' time to the telecom regulator to look into the matter and make recommendations for the fresh auctions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">A defensive Congress Party went into a huddle on Thursday over the latest Supreme Court verdict that quashed all 122 licenses granted to telecom operators under a scandal-tainted 2008 sale.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Defending the government, senior Congress leader and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said: "The attack of the opposition does not matter to us, since the matter is already in the court. The court will take its own decision. As far as the opposition is concerned, it says things without knowing anything. It is their habit of unnecessarily reacting on everything by giving their own interpretations."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The ruling has come as a major setback for Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's government, which oversaw the sale of the licenses at below-market prices, costing the exchequer up to 36 billion dollars in lost revenues.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister, claiming that the ruling vindicates their stand on the multi-billion dollar telecom scam case.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Supreme Court's landmark ruling comes as a fresh embarrassment for the government while plunging the mobile network market of <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>'s third-largest economy into uncertainty, besides giving the opposition more political ammunition against the Congress party.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The licences affected by Thursday's ruling include all of those held by Unitech Wireless, the Indian joint venture of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s Telenor and Unitech. Thirteen licences held by Idea Cellular and three held by Tata Teleservices are also affected by the ruling.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd and Videcon Telecommunications, part of <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s Videocon group are also affected, along with Etisalat DB, the joint venture between <st1:city w:st="on">Abu Dhabi</st1:city>'s Etisalat and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s DB group; and S-Tel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Meanwhile, Congress general secretary, B K Hariprasad said in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Delhi</st1:place></st1:city> that the BJP's tirade was clearly an instance of the pot calling the kettle black.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"The opposition's demand of resignation of the government and the Prime Minister clearly exposes their hypocrisy. In the BJP-ruled states, more than half a dozen of their workers are in prison. Its own chief minister has gone to jail. Criminal complaints are also pending against several of their former ministers," said Hariprasad.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Former telecom minister and prime accused in the case A Raja, who presided over the 2008 grant process, was forced to resign in 2010 following a massive political outcry over the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> is the second-largest cellular market in the world by subscribers, with 894 million at the end of December, although the market is crowded with more than a dozen operators, making call rates among the lowest in the world and squeezing margins. -- NNN-AGENCIES<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Telecoms Minister Meets PM, Finance Minister to Discuss 2G Verdict

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal addressing a press conferenc...

2G Scam: Foreign Telecom Firms Want Indian Government to Clarify Stand

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-IANS) -- Norwegian firm Telenor Thursday sought a fair deal from the Indian government to protect its investment in the country after the Supreme Court cancelled the license of its joint venture Uninor, while analysts viewed the verdict as a setback for foreign investment in the sector, at least in the short run.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We look to the government to arrive at a fair outcome that doesn't jeopardize our lawful investment," said Glenn Mandelid, director of communications, Telenor Group.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We are reviewing the order and will consider necessary actions to safeguard our investment."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Supreme Court cancelled all 122 licences issued to telecom firms in 2008. However, the apex court has given four months' time to the country's telecom regulator to look into the matter and make recommendations for the fresh auctions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mandelid said the Supreme Court's decision should not be inflicted on its investment, as the company's participation in the Indian JV started after 2008 spectrum allocation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"When we have not caused any of the faults found by the courts, it is obvious to everyone that our investment must not be jeopardized," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Telenor has invested more than Rs.6,100 crore in equity and over Rs.8,000 crore in corporate guarantees as a foreign investor in Uninor.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Uninor on its behalf said it had been unfairly treated, even as it followed the regulatory process to acquire the 2G spectrum.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We are shocked to see that Uninor is being penalized for faults the court has found in the government process," said a company spokesperson.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The company said the current order by the apex court did not entail Uninor to stop operations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We expect the authorities to ensure that our 36 million customers, 17,500 workforce and 22,000 partners are not unjustly affected."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Another telcom operator, Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL), which operates under MTS brand in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, said it would resort to all means under the law to protect its interests.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The company would like to state that being a law abiding organisation, it reserves the right to protect its interests by using all available judicial remedies."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">SSTL is a joint venture between Sistema Joint Stock Financial Corporation of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region> and the Shyam Group of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Analysts pointed out that players like Sistema and Etisalat are government-controlled companies and these foreign governments would now be cautious about doing business in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">And, they said, getting foreign direct investment in the sector could be a bit more challenging for the country, till the policy framework is clarified.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A mass switchover by mobile users is likely in the telecom sector as customers would now plan to port in to different networks following the Supreme Court's order cancelling 122 licences of operators such as Idea Cellular, Uninor, Tata Teleservices, Loop Telecom and Videocon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The mobile number portability (MNP) service, which had a pan-India launch in January last year, has so far witnessed 29.24 million porting requests from across the country having over 890 million wireless users.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Noted telecom analyst and director of consultancy firm Com First India Mahesh Uppal said MNP will definitely be used as an option by those users who attach huge importance to their numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Though in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> people are not very committed to MNP as in West, it will still be used as an option by those for whom retaining their numbers is very important. MNP would certainly act as a useful aid," Uppal told IANS.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Although the telecom regulator said the move by subscribers is expected to affect barely 5 percent of the total subscriber base, a concerned user would like to go in for another player taking advantage of the MNP service.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The move is likely to affect less than 5 percent of users as the current operators other than the ones whose licences have been cancelled control almost the rest of the market," Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman J.S. Sarma told IANS.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Customers can always go to the operators of their choice (through MNP)," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Vikramjeet Singh, a 22-year-old user of one of the affected firms, said: "This is shocking news but I am glad that through MNP my mobile services would continue but there is a lot of confusion right now and I hope to get some clarity on this issue."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"As a consumer I am perplexed as to why should a consumer suffer for the faults of telecom operators but I think I have no better option than MNP. I have to retain my number as it is circlulated among all my friends and relatives," 26-year old Shambhavi Shukla, working at a private firm, told IANS. -- NNN-IANS<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>

2G Scam: Foreign Telecom Firms Want Indian Government to Clarify Stand

NEW DELHI (NNN-IANS) -- Norwegian firm Telenor Thursday sought a fair deal from the Indian government to protect its investment in the co...

Vodafone Hails Supreme Court Judgement; Says Has Confidence in India

Vodafone Hails Supreme Court Judgement; Says Has Confidence in India

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) -- UK-based Vodafone Group Plc, the parent company of Vodafone Essar, Friday hailed Supreme Court's ruling to set...

Indian Mobile Phone App Aims to Thwart Sexual Assaults

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>By Kurt Achin from New Delhi, India</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tH0dLkyYtE8D3-XU6IV53GOT_WqYEynPhwi99J6567fLEwCTlUi3wKq-pI6peaoTrf8_QQzs-3EdQ6WFqmtsM5qdkjI8ubb4E3G4aZqCGIOMtGGwPxNgi86FvCgF14ZJceWHxg-9NzE/s1600/voa_india_fight_back_480_12jan2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tH0dLkyYtE8D3-XU6IV53GOT_WqYEynPhwi99J6567fLEwCTlUi3wKq-pI6peaoTrf8_QQzs-3EdQ6WFqmtsM5qdkjI8ubb4E3G4aZqCGIOMtGGwPxNgi86FvCgF14ZJceWHxg-9NzE/s400/voa_india_fight_back_480_12jan2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">A recently launched mobile phone application in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> called 'Fight Back'</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">aims to protect women against sexual assault as more women in nation's</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">growing economy join the work force in urban areas, January 2012. Photo: VOA</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div></td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In India's burgeoning economy, more and more women are going to work in offices - exposing them to what can sometimes be dangerous urban conditions. Now, a new technological initiative aims to protect women against sexual assault.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cheena Sikka is typical of the modern, professional Indian woman. She works hard. She works late.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When her shift is finished, a company cab takes her part of the way home. But she worries about the five to 10 minutes she has to walk alone to reach her door.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"It's dark and the kind of people who are around, you cannot feel safe with them. I'm not very comfortable walking all alone," said Sikka.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.voanews.com/templates/widgetDisplay.html?id=137209053&player=article" width="480"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">'Fight Back' tracks location</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, before the cab even starts moving, Cheena activates a recently launched mobile phone application called "Fight Back." It begins tracking her exact location via GPS.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The moment you feel uncomfortable, you really don't need to do anything else but press one button," said Sikka.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Jagdish Mitra is CEO of Canvasm Technologies, the tech company that developed Fight Back.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When a user presses the panic button, she has a few seconds to cancel her decision. If she doesn't, a location-specific alert is sent out via text message, email, and on Facebook to any friends and family she has chosen to include in a list.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Data from users is collated into an interactive map. Mitra said his company keeps an eye on the map - but does not serve as a public monitoring center.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"We are not in the provision of managing the law, if you may. The law has to be managed by the people who actually are authorized to do it, which is the police and so on and so forth," said Mitra.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Making cities safer</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Delhi's poorly lit streets can be forbidding. Official 2010 statistics, with more than 400 reported sexual assaults, have led many media organizations to label the city "India's rape capital."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"While the app to me is very important and has a good role to play, I think what we have to be careful about is that it doesn't again fall back on women to solve their problem," said Kalpana Viswanath, a researcher with the women's advocacy organization Jagori, which focuses on making cities safer for women. Her research includes recommendations on better lighting, wider sidewalks, more thoughtful zoning - and what she calls a more "holistic" approach to designing city life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"What kind of a city do we want? How are we urbanizing? If we are saying that in another 15-20 years India is going to be more urban than rural, what kind of cities do we want? So if the problem is that societies and cultures and our police and our infrastructure is wanting, then that is what we need to address," said Viswanath.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Using, improving tools</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Most women don't go to the police because in most parts of the country, the police are seen as more part of the problem than part of the solution,"  said Hindol Sengupta, a founder of Whypoll, the civic trust partner in the Fight Back project. He said police often are "lackadaisical" in enforcing complaints about safety from women.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"We're saying here's a tool - you can go to the police if you want, and so you should, and so you must," said Sengupta. "But in case you choose not to, and in case you can't reach them, you can directly reach out to your friends and family. And together, you can propel the system. You can propel the security apparatus, so to speak, to act."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The makers of Fight Back say senior police officials in Delhi and other Indian cities have expressed a keen interest in establishing formal links to the system. The approval and implementation process is likely to delay that step for several months. ---VOA News</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>

Indian Mobile Phone App Aims to Thwart Sexual Assaults

By Kurt Achin from New Delhi, India A recently launched mobile phone application in India called 'Fight Back' aims to protect ...

Sneaky Phone Marketers Outfox 'Caller ID'

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Find ways to mask their true identity<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Ted Landphair<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">  <o:p></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6HrorcZL3nVl8WymKskJmtY8dG9FRCPlVWmQ8-6jFZTCyIlPbCnt2rKYxeiBBY2jsO4uaKiBpHEanZ6yR4mVoeNwTzb8yPhpnQHyb-Fpwh2Z0Nau97s-P3znxRsdOotmC6GBhThijV8/s1600/caller%252Bid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6HrorcZL3nVl8WymKskJmtY8dG9FRCPlVWmQ8-6jFZTCyIlPbCnt2rKYxeiBBY2jsO4uaKiBpHEanZ6yR4mVoeNwTzb8yPhpnQHyb-Fpwh2Z0Nau97s-P3znxRsdOotmC6GBhThijV8/s320/caller%252Bid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Photo: Matt512, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Flickr</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Creative</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Commons</st1:placetype></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">A typical read-out of an incoming caller’s name on a desk phone.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">One telephone feature that seemed revolutionary when it was introduced in the 1970s - but now is quite standard - is “Caller ID.” It’s a message that appears on your phone as it’s ringing, showing you the telephone number of the person or organization calling. Some systems display the names of callers, as well as the number.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">When the phone rings and Caller ID flashes an unfamiliar number, you can decide to ignore it, assuming it’s a sales pitch you really don’t want to hear.  Or one of those annoying robotic messages.  If the call turns out to be from someone you might very well have wanted to talk to, but you don’t recognize the number, you hope the person will leave a message so you can call back.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But sneaky telemarketers have figured out how to outfox Caller ID. As The New York Times points out in a recent article, they’ve found ways to mask their true identities. Your Caller ID may read “Humane Society” or “I.R.S.” - the initials of the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Not very many people would want to ignore a call from those folks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVAZOnhSt8RV-vHOjDLrLXQ_7_AOunufH4VIUApbDBneDBWVt_AAvOVUlsQnwAvwwqZR_iz7U_ta1YjG3DGyE2KuWlqpqF0Iqfv-rHl7MZ9yu0aP7zcv0hoxGyl09JhEeU28ftQBLIUA/s1600/Caller_ID_receiver%252B%252B1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVAZOnhSt8RV-vHOjDLrLXQ_7_AOunufH4VIUApbDBneDBWVt_AAvOVUlsQnwAvwwqZR_iz7U_ta1YjG3DGyE2KuWlqpqF0Iqfv-rHl7MZ9yu0aP7zcv0hoxGyl09JhEeU28ftQBLIUA/s1600/Caller_ID_receiver%252B%252B1971.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Sjcramer, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Wikipedia</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Commons</st1:placetype></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">This is the first patented caller ID, developed at the Boeing Corporation facility in </span><st1:place style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Huntsville</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Alabama</st1:state></st1:place><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">, in 1971. Caller ID would appear directly on phones.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The telemarketers generate these phony identities by routing their calls via the Internet to another location, which has created a false identity. After the call leaves there and reaches your phone, the bogus ID displays on your screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Skilled scammers also create fake identities such as “F.B.I.” for pre-recorded “robo-calls,” which they spew forth by the thousands each second.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">When state regulators attempt to trace the source of deceptive Caller IDs, they hit an electronic labyrinth or brick wall. If the source can be found, it’s often a foreign operation outside the reach of American law.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">  <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">No wonder some Americans don’t like to answer the phone these days, and others are afraid to, not knowing who’s really on the other end.<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"> ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div></div>

Sneaky Phone Marketers Outfox 'Caller ID'

Find ways to mask their true identity By Ted Landphair Photo: Matt512, Flickr Creative Commons A typical read-out of an incoming...

Indian Telecom Sector Growth: an International Success Story

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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">870 Million Connections Added Against Target of 600 Million during 11th Plan<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Overall Teledensity Exceeds 76 Per Cent<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Over 97 Per Cent Villages Connected Through VPTs<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Customers Get Options For <st1:place w:st="on">Mobile</st1:place> Number Portability and Commercial<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Communications Preferences<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Draft National Telecom Policy- 2011 Announced<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Indian Telecom sector has proved to be an international success story. The sector has witnessed a commendable growth over the past two years. With an overall subscriber base of 914.60 million and a teledensity of 76.03%, the sector continues to grow from strength to strength.  With the urban teledensity reaching 166.54%, the market has been showing signs of maturity. Rural <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> is the key target market likely to drive the next round of growth, particularly for voice based services. It is envisaged that rural teledensity of 40% would be reached by end of 2014. 3G and BWA are expected to reinvigorate the maturing urban markets and help in bringing balanced growth of economy. The aggressive growth observed by mobile services is yet to be replicated in case of broadband service, where the subscriber base currently stands at more than 12 million. The Government has a vision to provide telephone connection and broadband facilities on demand across the country at an affordable price and it strives to achieve the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The growth of telecom sector since 2007:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: -48.75pt; width: 711px;"><tbody>
<tr>   <td nowrap="" rowspan="2" style="border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 85.5pt;" width="114">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">Subscribers<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" 1.0pt;padding:0cm="" 5.4pt;="" 5.4pt="" black="" border-left:none;border-bottom:solid="" colspan="6" height:16.5pt`="" mso-border-right-alt:solid="" mso-border-top-alt:solid="" nowrap="" style="border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; border-top: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 448.05pt;" width="597" windowtext="">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">Subscribers` base ( in million)<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td .5pt;padding:0cm="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;="" 5.4pt="" height:16.5pt`="" mso-border-right-alt:solid="" nowrap="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-width: initial; border-right: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">March`07<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;padding:0cm="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;="" 5.4pt="" height:16.5pt`="" mso-border-right-alt:solid="" nowrap="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-width: initial; border-right: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">March`08<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;padding:0cm="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;="" 5.4pt="" height:16.5pt`="" mso-border-right-alt:solid="" nowrap="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-width: initial; border-right: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">March`09<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;padding:0cm="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;="" 5.4pt="" height:16.5pt`="" mso-border-right-alt:solid="" nowrap="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-width: initial; border-right: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">March`10<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;padding:0cm="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;="" 5.4pt="" height:16.5pt`="" mso-border-right-alt:solid="" nowrap="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-width: initial; border-right: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">March`11<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-width: initial; border-right: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 81.8pt;" width="109" windowtext="">   <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">October`11<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:none;mso-border-left-alt:="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:15.75pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" solid="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-left: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 85.5pt;" width="114" windowtext="">   <div class="MsoNormal" column;mso-element-top:.05pt;mso-height-rule:exactly`="" mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:="" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span class="spelle"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">Wireline</span></span></span><span `=""><u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;mso-border-right-alt:.5pt;mso-border-color-alt:windowtext;mso-border-style-alt:="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;height:15.75pt`="" 5.4pt="" mso-border-top-alt:1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:="" nowrap="" solid;padding:0cm="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">40.77<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" .5pt;padding:="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:="" 5.4pt;height:15.75pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-left:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid="" nowrap="" solid="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">39.41<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" .5pt;padding:="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:="" 5.4pt;height:15.75pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-left:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid="" nowrap="" solid="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">37.96<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" .5pt;padding:="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:="" 5.4pt;height:15.75pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-left:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid="" nowrap="" solid="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">36.96<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" .5pt;padding:="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:="" 5.4pt;height:15.75pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-left:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid="" nowrap="" solid="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">34.73<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:="" 1.0pt;padding:="" 5.4pt;height:15.75pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-left:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid="" nowrap="" solid="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 81.8pt;" width="109" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">33.19<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-left: solid windowtext 3.0pt; border-width: initial; border: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 85.5pt;" width="114" windowtext="">   <div 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;="" class="MsoNormal" exactly`="" mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;mso-height-rule:="" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">Wireless<u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;padding:="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-top:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid="" nowrap="" solid="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top: none; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">165.09<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">261.08<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">391.76<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">584.32<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">811.60<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 81.8pt;" width="109" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">881.41<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 85.5pt;" width="114" windowtext="">   <div class="MsoNormal" column;mso-element-top:.05pt;mso-height-rule:exactly`="" mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:="" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span 0cm;="" 14pt;="" `="" aps-c-dv-prakash;="" border-bottom-style:="" border-color:="" border-image:="" border-left-color:="" border-left-style:="" border-left-width:="" border-right-style:="" border-top-color:="" border-top-style:="" border-top-width:="" border-width:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" initial;="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" new="" none;="" solid;="" times=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">Internet<u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">9.21<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">11.05<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">13.65<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">16.10<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td .5pt;="" 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 1.0pt;mso-border-right-alt:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" mso-border-bottom-alt:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 73.25pt;" width="98" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">19.69<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>   <td 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 1.0pt;border-right:solid="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-bottom:solid="" nowrap="" padding:0cm="" style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 81.8pt;" width="109" windowtext="">   <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" mso-element-frame-hspace:9.0pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:="" mso-height-rule:exactly`="" paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-top:.05pt;="" style="text-align: right; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span `=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">-<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td 0cm="" 1.0pt;="" 5.4pt;height:16.5pt`="" 5.4pt="" border-top:none;padding:0cm="" nowrap="" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top: none; border-width: initial; border: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 85.5pt;" width="114" windowtext="">   <div class="MsoNormal" column;mso-element-top:.05pt;mso-height-rule:exactly`="" mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:="" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 15.0pt;"><span 0cm;="" 14pt;="" `="" aps-c-dv-prakash;="" border-bottom-style:="" border-color:="" border-image:="" border-left-color:="" border-left-style:="" border-left-width:="" border-right-style:="" border-top-color:="" border-top-style:="" border-top-width:="" border-width:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" initial;="" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" margin-top:="" new="" none;="" solid;="" times=""><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;"># accessing internet through wireless networks as per quarterly   reports of TRAI<u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span>   <div class="MsoNormal" column;mso-element-top:.05pt;mso-height-rule:exactly`="" mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:=""><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The 11th plan (2007-2012) had envisaged provision of 600 million connections.  The number of telephone connections both wireline and wireless put together stands at 914.60 million on 31.10.2011. This registers an addition of 869.83 million connections by October 2011 against a target of 600 million connections by end of the 12th Plan i.e. March 2012.  Wireless subscribers increased to 881.41 million by October 2011, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 43.93% . During the first seven months of the current year 2011-12, the wireless connections grew by 8.60%. The number of Internet subscribers grew by 22.30%, while the broadband subscribers grew at 34.43% during the year 2010-11.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Change in composition of sector:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Public vs. Private: The liberalization efforts of the Government are evident in the growing share of the private sector. The private sector is now playing an important role in the expansion of telecom sector which is evident from the following table:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The share of private sector in the number of telephones has increased from 65.32% (134.48 million telephones) at the end of  March, 2007 to 85.92% (786 million telephones) at the end of  October, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Wireless vs. Wireline:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The preference for use of wireless phones has also been predominant in the sector. This is confirmed from the rising share of wireless phones, which increased from 80.19% (165.09 million) at the end of  March, 2007 to 96.37% (881.41 million) at the end of  October, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Trend in Teledensity:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Teledensity in the country is steadily increasing from 18.22% as on 31.3.07 to 70.89% as on 31.03.11 and currently stands at 76.03% as on 31.10.11. However, there is a wide gap between urban teledensity (166.54%) and rural teledensity (36.81%).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">                                                          <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Rural Telephony:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">97.09% of the villages in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> have been covered by the Village Public Telephones (VPTs). Apart from the 308.87 million connections provided in the rural areas, 576350 VPTs have been provided till 31.10.2011. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Policy Reforms and New Initiatives<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">For a dynamic sector, reforms are necessitated by dynamics of changes including technological innovations.  The telecom sector in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> has been witnessing a continuous process of reforms since 1991.  During the recent years, various policy initiatives have been carried out to give boost to the sector. Major policy initiatives and milestones achieved in Telecom Sector include:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mobile Number Portability (MNP):<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">           <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MNP was launched by the Prime Minister on January 20, 2011. The MNP service  allows subscribers to retain their existing mobile telephone number even when they switch from one access service provider to another irrespective of mobile technology or from one technology to another technology of the same or any other access service provider within the same service area.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Implementation of MNP has not only given wider choices to the Indian subscribers but has also induced service providers to offer innovative, affordable and competitive traffic plans for the benefit of the masses. As on November 30, 2011, 19 million mobile customers have successfully ported their mobile numbers to the service providers’ of their choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations 2010:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) 2010 came into force on September 27, 2011. TCCCPR 2010 gives options to customers to exercise their preference, separate number for telemarketers starting with 140, easy registration of the telemarketers, sharing of database, blacklisting provisions, filtering of calls and SMS by service providers, effective complaint redressal system and financial disincentive on access providers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">           <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In order to curb unsolicited commercial communication, which were a major cause of disturbance and inconvenience for telecom users, TRAI notified “Telecom Unsolicited Commercial Communication Regulations” in 2007, putting in place a framework for controlling unsolicited commercial communications. This regulation was further improved through two amendments in 2008. As a result of this regulation, the number of unsolicited calls decreased but the number of unsolicited SMS increased. The Indian telecom customer demanded more from TRAI, which led to enforcement of TCCCPR 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Foreign Direct Investment (FDI):  <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is one of the important sources to meet the requirement of huge funds for rapid network expansion. The FDI policy provides an investor-friendly environment for the growth of the telecom sector. Telecom has emerged as the third major sector attracting FDI inflows after services and computer software sector. At present, 74% to 100% FDI is permitted for various telecom services. This investment has helped telecom sector to grow. The growth of FDI in Telecom Sector since 2007 is as under:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Declining Tariff:   <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The telephone tariffs have declined dramatically over the last two years making the mobile telephone affordable to the common man.  There are a large number of options available for the subscribers to choose from the market depending upon their usage profile. The prepaid tariffs have gone as low as ½ paise per second.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Manufacturing of Telecom Equipment</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The exponential growth witnessed by the telecom sector in the past decade has led to the development of the telecom equipment manufacturing and other supporting industries. With the advent of next-generation technologies and operators looking to roll out 3G and broadband wireless access services, the demand for telecom equipment has increased rapidly. In an attempt to capitalize on this opportunity, the Government is focusing on developing the domestic manufacturing industry. The Indian equipment manufacturing sector has come a long way in the past few years. From being an import-centric industry, it is slowly but steadily moving towards becoming a global telecom equipment manufacturing hub. In 2002-03, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> produced telecom equipment worth Rs 144 billion, which increased to Rs 520 billion in 2010-11, making a growth of 265 per cent.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One of the key reasons for this trend is the setting up of domestic manufacturing facilities by Indian companies along with multinational companies. The market is currently dominated by multinational companies like Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, LG Electronics, Samsung etc. which have set up their production facilities in the country over the past decade and many more are planning to set up. Also, with Indian as well as multinational companies setting up base in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>, the country is not only emerging as a manufacturing hub but is also planning to increase its telecom exports. In the year 2006-07, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> exported equipment worth Rs 18.98 billion, which increased by over 730 per cent to Rs 158 billion in 2010-11. Indian mobile handset companies increased their share in the domestic market to 14 per cent in 2009-10 from 3-4 per cent in 2008-09. Domestic brands have established themselves in the market and are competing with international handset vendors.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Government is supporting the domestic equipment manufacturing industry and the growth of indigenous technology. With efforts from both the Government and the industry, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> can build a conducive ecosystem to boost the equipment manufacturing sector, which can lead to the creation of an industry that will compete with the best in the world. With above initiatives <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> is expected to be a manufacturing hub for telecom equipment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Draft National Telecom Policy (NTP– 2011):  Draft NTP 2011 was announced on October 10, 2011. NTP–2011 proposes to provide stable, rationale and objective policy regime over next decade or so:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To make available secure, reliable and affordable voice telephony and high speed broadband services to every citizen in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> with special focus on rural and remote areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To improve the broadband experience by enhancing the speed of delivery.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To make <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> a global hub of manufacturing for all electronic products including telecom equipment with substantial value addition within the country and safeguard security concerns of the nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">For simplification and rationalisation of licensing regime, transparent system for allocation of spectrum and enable efficient usage of spectrum.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">For discovery of price of spectrum through market related processes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To achieve One Nation- Full Mobile Number Portability<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To enable free roaming throughout the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To harness full potential of mobile phones for enabling provision of citizen centric services related to education, health, employment, agriculture, entertainment, banking & insurance services, skill upgradation, vocational training etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To encourage indigenous manufacture of cost effective mobile devices. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The faster roll out of high speed and reliable broadband in rural and urban areas will enable decentralised governance, participative democracy and delivery of basic services such as health and education to every citizen of the country. The thrust on manufacturing will promote entrepreneurship, create more job opportunities, reduce imports and improve security. Efficient usage of scarce resources like spectrum will result in better quality of service to the customers at affordable cost. The new policy regime will be beneficial to end consumers/citizens, Telecom Service Providers, Value Added Service Providers, Government and Manufacturers. Policy is likely to be approved by the June 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">National frequency Allocation Plan:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The National Frequency Allocation Plan-2011 (NAFP) came into effect from October 1, 2011 to ensure its efficient and effective management. Radio spectrum is becoming increasingly important for all walks of life and needs to be managed rationally.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NAFP-2011 is a policy document which contains spectrum allocation for various radio communication services/applications in different frequency bands. This document provides the basis for development, manufacturing and spectrum utilization activities in the country, both for Government and private sectors. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Recent initiatives undertaken by USOF:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The strategy for network expansion in rural areas mainly involves provision of phones in the viable areas through market mechanism and through Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) in the non-viable areas. While Village Public Telephones (VPTs) will enable public access, a scheme of Infrastructure sharing by Infrastructure Providers and Universal Service Providers  has been launched under USOF to create infrastructure in rural and remote areas. The achievements of the schemes under USOF are as under:-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Apart from the 308.87 million connections provided in the rural areas, 576350 VPTs have been provided till 31.10.11. 97.09% of the villages in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> have now been covered by the VPTs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As on 30.10.2011, 7289 towers i.e. about 99% have been set up under shared mobile infrastructure scheme. The infrastructure so created is being shared by three service providers for provision of mobile services.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As on 30.09.2011, a total of 2,24,631 broadband connections have been provided and 5674 kiosks  have been set up in rural and remote areas under Rural Broadband Scheme for expanding provision of Wireline Broadband Connectivity upto village level.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Another Scheme has been launched to provide sufficient back-haul capacity to integrate the voice and data traffic from the access network in the rural areas to their core network by strengthening the OFC network. This scheme considers Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) Network augmentation between the blocks` HQ and Districts` HQ to begin with. USOF, through this Scheme, shall provide subsidy support for augmentation, creation and management of intra-district SDHQ-DHQ OFC Network on the condition that it will be shared with other Telecom Operators at the rates prescribed in the Agreement. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Assam</st1:country-region></st1:place> has been taken up first for implementation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Some of the pilot projects undertaken by USOF are as under:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Support is being provided for mobile charging stations in 5000 villages through Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) project of Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL). The solar mobile charging stations in these 5000 villages are to be provided in a phased manner over a period of two years from the date of signing of the Agreement. Till 30.04.2011, mobile charging stations have been established in 322 villages.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with BSNL for financial support from USOF for provision of Broadband enabled Rural Public Service Terminals (RPSTs) to eligible Woman SHGs (Self Help Groups) on pilot basis in the states of HP and Rajasthan. BSNL shall provide an RPST to one eligible SHG from each of its eligible rural wire-line exchanges under the MoU as per agreed terms & conditions with subsidy support from USO Fund. At present, 150 RPSTs (100 in Rajasthan and 50 in HP) have been provided under this scheme.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Recognizing the vital role that Information Communication Technology (ICT) can play in the empowerment of rural women, a scheme has been launched for pilot projects aimed at facilitating Self Help Groups (SHGs) access to ICT enabled services. Financial support from USO Fund is to be provided towards Value Added Service (VAS) subscriptions for SHGs in accordance with the provisions of underlying subsidy Agreements. At present MoUs have been signed for Proof of Concept (PoC) for 8 mobile VAS projects in the state of Tamilnadu, Kerala, <st1:place w:st="on">Maharashtra</st1:place>, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Puducherry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Implementation of National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN):</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">  All village Panchayats are to be connected through NOFN to enable delivery of public and private electronic services to citizens in urban and rural areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Broadband is a tool for improving the life of people by providing affordable and equitable access to information and knowledge.  For individual, broadband has direct impact on their day to day life style and behaviour.  For State, it enormously contributes towards trade and generation of employment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Many Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) applications such as e-commerce, e-banking, e-governance, e-education and tele-medicine require high speed Internet connectivity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Government has approved National Optical Fiber Network in October 2011 for providing Broadband connectivity to all Panchayats at a cost of approx 20,000 Crore.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 47.25pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 47.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">                </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The plan is to extend the existing optical fiber network up to Panchayats. The Network will be available to telecom service providers for providing various services to the citizens in non-discriminatory manner.  As per the approval of the Cabinet, the action for establishing and operationalising Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been initiated for management and operation of the NOFN and ensuring non-discriminatory access to all service providers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 47.25pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 47.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">                </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In economic terms, the benefits from the scheme are expected through additional employment, e-education, e-health, e-agriculture etc. and reduction in migration of rural population to urban areas.  As per a study conducted by the World Bank, with every 10% increase in broadband penetration, there is an increase in GDP growth by 1.4%. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NOFN will also facilitate implementation of various e-governance initiatives such as e-health, e-banking, e-education etc. thereby facilitating inclusive growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Network will provide a highway for transmission of voice, data and video in rural areas. It will enable the broadband connectivity upto 2 Mbps, capable of providing various electronic services like education, health, entertainment, commerce etc; to people and businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The people in rural areas, student, entrepreneurs, various Government Departments providing services under e-gov projects will be benefitted. It will also provide connectivity to various public institutions like Gram Panchayats, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), schools etc. in rural areas. It will also result in investment from the private sector both for providing different services and manufacturing of broadband related telecom equipment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The NOFN project would be implemented in 2 years.<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"> ---PIB</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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Indian Telecom Sector Growth: an International Success Story

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