TRAI to soon start public consultation for free roaming

Telecom regulator TRAI on Friday said it will soon begin a public consultation process for implementation of free telecom roaming in the country.

BSNL's website hacked by Anonymous India

State-owned telecom firm BSNL's Website was hacked on Thursday by a group that demanded withdrawal of section 66 A of the IT Act.

TDSAT directs RCom to pay half of termination charges demanded by Idea

The TDSAT has directed Idea Cellular not to stop interconnection of SMSes on its network originating from RCom and ordered the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group firm to pay 50 percent of the termination charges demanded by the Aditya Birla group company.

Landline customers owe Rs. 2,397 crore to BSNL

The government on Wednesday said an amount of Rs. 2,397.66 crore was due for payment on September 30, 2012, in respect of landline bills for all telecom circles of state-run BSNL.

Bharti Infratel's Rs. 4,500 crore IPO subscribed 15 percent on Day 1 1

The Rs. 4,500-crore Bharti Infratel IPO, tipped as the second biggest public issue in two years, was subscribed 15 percent on the first day of the offer on Tuesday.The telecom tower company's initial public offer (IPO) attracted bids for 2.45 crore shares against 18.89 crore equity shares on offer, according to stock exchanges data till 1700 hrs.

Aircel to add 400 3G towers in Tamil Nadu

Telecom operator Aircel would turn its focus on data service to drive its growth,a top company official said on Tuesday.

SC directs Airtel to reconnect SMS services to Aircel

The Supreme Court has directed the Bharti Telecom to reconnect SMS services to the Aircel after the latter assured to pay the former termination charge of 10 paise per SMS.

Bharti Airtel launches emergency alert service

Bharti Airtel on Sunday launched an 'emergency alert service' enabling its subscribers to send alert message with location details to 10 mobile numbers.
"During an emergency, Airtel mobile customers can now send an alert with their geographic location to their closest 10 loved ones simultaneously with just a call, facilitating an access to easy and quick help," Airtel said in a statement.
Subscribers can even send a 'SAFE' SMS indication to a pre-defined group of 10 family members and friends and keep them informed of their wellbeing in case when out alone and during any natural calamity or disaster with just one click, it added.
Customers opting for 'Emergency Alert Service' will be charged Rs. 30 for 30 days and they can send this alert even if they don't have minimum balance in their account.
To send an emergency alert, the subscribers can give a call to 55100 and the number registered by him or her will receive voice and SMS alerts with location details of the customer.
Airtel customer can also send this alert through SMS by typing HELP in the message box and sending it to 55100 which will be then transmitted on all the 10 numbers.

Report: Bharti Airtel seeking South African partner again

Bharti Airtel is trying to get a South African partner again, 3 years after its failed bid to link up with local giant MTN, a media report has said.
The weekly Sunday Times, citing an unnamed source close to Bharti Airtel Africa, said the company is still seeking expansion on the African continent after it gained a presence in 15 north, west and east African countries following its acquisition of Zain Telecom's business on the continent soon after the MTN deal fell through.
Industry speculation has been that Bharti Airtel wants to make a bid for either Cell C, the third largest mobile company in South Africa, or latest entrant 8ta, an offshoot of former state monopoly Telkom, the report said.
With 8ta battling to gain a foothold, analysts felt that any bid by Bharti would be for Cell C instead, it added.
The report said Cell C and Bharti Airtel did not comment on the latest speculation, while Telkom said there had been no approach made to it.
There has also been speculation in recent weeks about a merger between Cell C and 8ta after Cell C Chief Executive Officer Alan Knot-Craig hinted that a consolidation within the industry in South Africa was inevitable for it to be viable.
Analyst Chris Gilmour told the weekly that although Cell C would be a likelier acquisition for Bharti Airtel than 8ta, it would probably be more expensive as it had a well-established infrastructure and customer base.
8ta's main attraction to Bharti Airtel would be the access it currently has to a lot of 2.3GHz spectrum, which was a legacy from Telkom.
But the industry regulator was unlikely to approve 8ta selling off this spectrum to anyone buying the company, especially since it was awarded to Telkom and not 8ta directly after hot contestation and protests by the other operators in the industry, according to analyst Arthur Goldstuck of Worlwideworx, who advised Bharti Airtel to look at other ventures in South Africa instead.