The DOT has directed all the mobile companies to ensure that the radiation emitted from the towers is as per the new guidelines framed. As per the new guidelines the radiation level should be reduced by 1/10th of the present level. This is based on the report of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). As per this, the radiation level should adhere to Specific Absorption Rates (SAR)  of a cell phone to 2 watts per kilogram averaged over 10 grams tissue.

Already there has been agitation by local people against constructing towers in their area due to fear of radiation. Some of the private companies have been violating all norms so that the tower can have a wider range. At least, now there will be some restraint in this matter.

Usually it is the government which gives notice to the companies for remittance of tax. It also peoposes and pass acts on tax and other issues. Accordingly, the Government has moved an amendment to the Finance Bill which will allow it to tax the foreign companies on their assets in India with retrospective effect.As per this amendment Vodafone will have to pay retrospective tax from 2007 till now, which will come to around Rs. 11,297 crore.

But now, the Vodafone company has issued notice to the government that unless this amendment is not dropped, it will go for arbitration under the International Bilateral Investment Treaty against the Government of India.

India government should not be cowered by this threat. It should move as decided earlier. It should not be MNCs which decide the policy of the government. But unfortunately, the track-record of the government of India shows its continued submission to pressure of foreign governments and MNCs.

The government on Tuesday said the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012 will be in place by May. “It (NTP) will be done in May. We have already said that,” IT and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters on the sidelines of World IT Forum 2012. The Economic Survey had estimated NTP to be in place by June. The government through new telecom policy has made attempt to set roadmap for functioning and development of telecom sector starting 2012. According to government sources, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is about to start inter-ministerial consultation on NTP 2012 after which the policy will be moved to the Cabinet for approval. Under NTP 2012, it has been proposed to de-link spectrum from licences, reduce number of different licences, give industry liberal mergers and acquisition norms and remove roaming charges burden from consumers. They will also be allowed to retain same number across country. On Monday, sector regulator TRAI issued recommendations for Unified Licences that will be de-linked from spectrum and issued to all new companies entering sector under NTP 2012. These guidelines are vital for telecom companies whose licences have been cancelled by Supreme Court in February. Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar has said that DoT will try and speed up the new licensing regime in less than three months. Once approved, telecom companies can apply for telecom licences without owning spectrum and can perform businesses that can be carried out without using paid spectrum. TRAI has recommended one time non-refundable entry fee for Unified Licence shall be Rs 15 crore for National level, Rs 1 crore for each Service area level Unified Licences, except for Jammu and Kashmir and North East Service areas where entry fee will be Rs 50 lakh each. For each District level Unified Licence, the regulator has requested non-refundable entry fee of Rs 10 lakh. TRAI said it should be entrusted with the function of issuing unified licences. At present, DoT issues all types of telecom licences.

The unions in Air India – Indian Airlines are on war path.  The decision of the central government to form two subsidiary companies – AI Airport Services Limited and AI Engineering Services Limited – and divert 19,000 employees to them are strongly opposed by the  eight employees unions in Air India. They have also sought a meeting with the Prime minister on this issue. It is complained by the unions that even after taking charge three months back, the Minister has not met them even once.  If the issues are not settled the unions have threatened strike action.

The Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) has started increasing in the last few months for the telecom operators.  For the last two years or so, the ARPU has been reducing due to the stiff competition and connected reduction of charges. It has increased 2.93 % since September last.  This will result in increase of revenue to the telecom operators.

The TRAI has now recommended that all the communication services may be given a unified licence the entry for which it recommended as Rs. 15 crore. The licence fee for spectrum will be different. The spectrum /air-waves will be allotted through auctions.

At present an entry fee of Rs. 1658 crore  includes 4.4 MHz of start-up spectrum  or 2.5 MHz of CDMA  air waves for all the 22 circles.  As per the new recommendations, there will be no bundling with spectrum/airwaves.

TRAI has also recommended that the penalty for violation of licence conditions etc. be reduced from the present Rs. 20 crore to Rs. 10 crore.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has planned to set up telecom connectivity through Bangladesh for North Eastern region of the country due to tough terrain and geographical isolation, top BSNL Executive said today. “Ministry has attached much importance in consolidating telecom network in NE region and we are interested in setting up an alternative route through Bangladesh due to tough terrain,” Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL R K Upadhayaya told reporters here. Connectivity would be set up between Agartala and Dhaka via Akhaura in Bangladesh and between Sabroom in south Tripura and Cox’s Bazar in Chittagong in Bangladesh to provide smooth telecom connectivity, he told reporters. “Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) has been laid between Kolkata and Dhaka. With the implementation of new telecom policy in next financial year, BSNL would be able to expand telecom network across rural India,” Upadhyay said. He hoped that BSNL would retain its business and buy more equipments to provide better service in the country and compete with other telecom companies. Upadhyay came here to discuss with the Chief Minister Manik Sarkar about the development plans in Tripura and the region. Government has planned to extend OFC to 25000 panchayats across the country to provide broadband services, he said.

It was 157 years back on this day, 24th March (1855), that the transmission of  Telegraphs messages was introduced in India. The telegraph lines from Agra to Calcutta was an important event that changed the country along with the introduction of Indian Railways. The above two, helped the British in suppressing the First War of Independence due to quick communication and quick transportation of military personnel. But it was also a path to modernising the country.  Both the Telegraphs and the Railways celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2005 with wide publicity.     Both have served the people of India creditably for about one and half century.  Now, the telegraphs services have almost become extinct with the introduction of telephones and latest technology of communications. The Railways are going to be gradually privatised as per the indications and programmes included in the latest Railway Budget.

Certain reports are coming in the media about the huge loss incurred in MTNL and suggesting VRS and privatisation are the only course left to the government to save it, as it ‘saved’ VSNL earlier. We have been pointing out that after privatisation of VSNL, they will turn to MTNL. Once blood is tasted, the wolf will not leave. Here the wolves are the MNCs, the big business and unfortunately, the government also.

All of them together have started a careful campaign for privatisation of MTNL. I am sure the workers of MTNL will rise to the occasion and fight and defeat the nefarious plan of the conspirators.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the draft consultation paper on auction of spectrum to seek views of various stakeholders for giving its recommendation to the DOT.

.The main issues focussed the draft consultation include the  amount of spectrum to be auctioned, liberalisation and reframing of spectrum in 800/900 MHz bands, structure of auction, spectrum block size, eligibility criteria for participating in the auction, reserve price, roll out obligations, spectrum usage charges, trading etc.

The consultation paper shows 60 Mhz and 413.6 Mhz of spectrum will be vacated in 800 Mhz and 1800 Mhz spectrum bands respectively from the cancellation of 122 2G licences by Supreme Court.

The consultation paper need to studied well and our opinion expressed