This week saw the beginning of something interesting. Airtel, India’s biggest telecom company and the biggest rival of Reliance Jio, cut its 4G prices in select circles. The new tariff basically doubles the data on offer for each recharge till Rs 850 with the result that you now get 10 GB for Rs 850, instead of […]
According to media reports, Reliance Communications will convert nearly all of its CDMA spectrum into 4G spectrum by paying around Rs 7,000 cr to the government, and then sell it to Reliance Jio for Rs 4,500. Some are perplexed as to why a company would pay so much to the government to free up its spectrum and […]
It’s 4G war, and Bharti Airtel — India’s largest telecom operator — is not about to let new kid of the block Reliance Jio run away with its lunch. After steadfastly refusing to cut its 4G plan prices below 3G levels, the Sunil Mittal-led firm has finally decided to throw in the towel and slashed the […]
Broker Credit Suisse sees all the major telecom companies of India making an attempt to buy fresh 4G spectrum in the upcoming auctions expected to take place in March. Despite making contrary noises, the telcos are likely to buy airwaves as it is a ‘once-in-20-years’ opportunity, the broker said in a note to clients. According […]
For years, India’s telecom operators have taken the government repeatedly to task over ‘hoarding’ spectrum, not releasing it on time etc.. However, with recent auctions giving some of them a competitive advantage, many of these operators are now asking the government to postpone the upcoming 700 MHz auctions – slated to be the biggest India will ever see. As part […]
Idea Cellular, which today became the third operator in the country to launch commercial 4G services, seems to have decided to pull out all stops to counter the launch of Reliance Jio next week. In doing so, Idea has decided to offer 4G tariff that is roughly 50% cheaper than its two closest competitors, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone. […]
Idea Cellular, the country’s third biggest telecom operator and holder of 4G spectrum, is offering 1 GB of 4G data in 190 cities spread over eight states as part of a ‘pre-book’ offer. The scheme is applicable only to those who have Idea phone numbers. Subscribers will have to also change their SIMs to a […]
Data prices in India are about to crash, going by trickling information about tariff plans of upcoming operator Reliance Jio. The Reliance Industries company, which will launch it 4G services on Dec 28, will be pricing its 10 GB pack at around Rs 600 per month, according to a retailer. UPDATE: Jio may be launching […]
Idea Cellular, holder of the biggest amount of 4G spectrum in the 1800 MHz band, has opened registration for its 4G service in over 150 cities across eight of 12 circles where it plans to launch the service. These eight circles are the four southern states, Punjab & Haryana in the north and Orissa and […]
Reliance Jio will announce the launch of its 4G services in India by the end of this month, but it will take a few more days after that for the operator’s SIM cards to be available in stores, according to company sources. “We’ve been told that there will be a press conference on 28th, announcing […]
Back in 2011, when 3G services were starting to be launched, there would be new announcements every three or four weeks from each operator on new tariff plans. Some would offer ‘free 3G’ along with voice recharge, some would offer combo plans, some heavy usage plans such as 10 GB for Rs 999 and so […]
Idea Cellular Ltd has become the first operator in India to buy spectrum under recently unveiled trading guidelines. The company said it has agreed with Videocon Telecommunications Limited for acquiring right to use spectrum under govt guidelines dated October 12, 2015, for the areas of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh (West). “This agreement for Idea’s two […]
Reliance Jio, the telecom arm of Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries, is likely to launch its 4G services any time from January to March next year, and will pose a credible challenge to incumbents, driving out weaker operators, Fitch Ratings said. “Jio’s product is likely to gain traction – given the intention to launch an integrated […]
Reliance Jio has started testing its network in Kerala in cities like Thrissur, according to industry sources, and is only days away from completing its infrastructure work in most places in the state. An employee of the company was able to demonstrate decent 4G speeds using a phone made by LG Electronics. The operator will give more handsets […]
The latest quarterly numbers released by Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular point to an interest fact — both have increased the rate of 3G deployment by 100% or more. Bharti Airtel, for example, added 9,561 new 3G towers in India during the three months ended September, compared to only around 4,060 new towers added in […]
With spectrum trading rules promulgated, all eyes are on two key players — Aircel Cellular and Tata Teleservices — wondering whether they will sell coveted 3G and 4G spectrum held with them. Operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular are known to be keen to buy spectrum from these operators. Adding fuel to speculation […]
Spectrum trading is likely to lead to consolidation in the Indian telecom industry and four telecom operators — Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Vodafone and Reliance Jio — are likely to emerge the winners — analysts said. “The industry could see emergence of four pan-India players (Bharti Airtel Limited, Vodafone India Limited, Idea Cellular Ltd and […]
Axiata Group Berhadand Bharti Airtel Limited said they have entered into an exclusive discussion to explore the possibility of combining the business operations of their telecommunication subsidiaries in Bangladesh; namely, Robi Axiata Limited and Airtel Bangladesh Limited. Malaysia-based Axiata holds a stake of around 20% in Idea Cellular in India. “There is no certainty that […]
Idea Cellular, Vodafone India and Bharti Airtel are known to have started offering aggressive discounts on their 3G plans to their customers via promotional offers and SMSes ahead of Reliance Jio’s launch. All three are already offering 1 GB of 3G data for Rs 149 as opposed to Rs 249 earlier. However, the discounts don’t […]
Idea Cellular CEO Himanshu Kapania will be one of the highest paid executives in India after his reappointment for five years starting April next year. According to the plans disclosed by the company, Kapania will be offered the following terms. A basic pay of Rs 12.9 lakhs plus a special allowance of 14.8 lakhs, coming […]
