Honest

^^^ Exactly my dear friends, they should come together to provide the cheapest services for subscribers. If MTNL get the access of BSNL's network then definetely they can give a run to all other private players. And vice versa MTNL subscribers could also take the benefit of BSNL'S Evdo service. Regards.

Vodafone asks DoT not to follow US model for 3G bid 6 Jun, 2008, 0136 hrs IST, TNN NEW DELHI: The Vodafone group (which owns a controlling stake in Vodafone Essar) has asked DoT not to be influenced by the high prices that the US government got during the recent spectrum auctions. Instead, the UK-based global telecom major has asked the DoT to consider the methodology followed by countries such as Egypt, Kenya, Turkey, Nigeria and Indonesia, and arrive at a benchmark price for the spectrum auctions in India. The logic: these are non-European countries with moderate GDP per capita who had awarded 3G licences recently, Vodafone said. Vodafone also blamed the recent US auctions and said that this development had resulted in many governments around the world exploring the prospects of getting similar returns. ‘The large sums raised by the US government are likely to increase the determination of other governments to find spectrum of their own. It is important to note that the frequency released in the US at 698-806 MHz will not be harmonised with the spectrum being targeted in Europe (790 - 862 MHz) or in African or Asia”, the company’s business arm for emerging markets, said in a communication to the DoT. The telco has also pointed out that it debatable whether US prices indicate likely proceeds in other markets. “Overall US cellular operators face greater spectrum scarcity than their European counterparts at a time when many are also undertaking wholesale migrations between different technology platforms of a kind which are simply not being attempted elsewhere,” the company said. According to Vodafone, the US auctions were different since telcos were forced to bid for additional spectrum to restore parity with AT&T. This is because, AT&T had purchased spectrum from Aloha last year and held a clear advantage as the quantum of radio frequencies it held was higher then other operators in the US. Vodafone has also argued that the auction structure also meant that bidders were seeking to build large contiguous footprints and in the process were bidding against local bidders with a potentarrive at a benchmark price ially higher valuation. “This kind of structure is specific to the US as national licenses remain the norm elsewhere,” Vodafone’s communication added.

TDSAT turns down plea by Spice to stay spectrum allocation 6 Jun, 2008, 2114 hrs IST, NEW DELHI: Telecom tribunal TDSAT on Friday refused to stay the allotment of spectrum to new entrants saying that the process could not be stalled considering larger public interest. The TDSAT turned down the plea of B K Modi-promoted Spice Communications which has pleaded that since tribunal would not be sitting for a month on account of summer vacation, it should stay allotment of spectrum till July 3, next date of hearing. "Yes I agree with your points ... but spectrum could also be utilised for larger public good also. It has involved larger public interest also," said TDSAT Chairman Justice Arun Kumar. Spice, which has challenged rejection for pan-India GSM licence by government, strongly pleaded to stay the spectrum allocation process contending that it may neutralise its commercial growth. The BK Modi firm submitted before the Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) that if the tribunal order goes in its favour then by that time all the market would be captured by the new entrants. "Nothing would be left for us. We would be commercially ruined. Our competitors would go before us and capture the market. They are already raising infrastructure," submitted the counsel appearing for the GSM service provider. He also submitted that the Department of Telecom (DoT) arbitrarily rejected its application on the networth issue and kept it out wrongly from a self-defined term. This was opposed by government through Additional Solicitor General on the ground that the petition filed by Spice was not maintainable.

COAI against TEC panel to measure mobile radiation 7 Jun, 2008, 0042 hrs IST, TNN NEW DELHI: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has expressed reservations on Telecom Engineering Centre’s (TEC) proposal to set up a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) to measure and control the electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and also to provide certifications to the operators. Instead, the COAI, which represents GSM players in India, has argued that since the government is set to adopt the guidelines prescribed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which lays down the basic restrictions and reference levels for limiting exposure to Electro and Magnetic field (EMF) radiation from mobile base stations and handsets, setting up another body in India for the same purpose will lead to ‘undue delays, duplications of efforts and will also add significantly to the costs of the operators’. ICNIRP’s guidelines are endorsed by the World Health Organization and have been adopted by most international telecom majors. The guidelines also mandate that all handset manufacturers specify the specific absorption rate (SAR) which specifies the amount of radio waves (radio frequency energy) absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.

COAI against measuring radiation in mobile sets 6 Jun, 2008, 2221 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: COAI, the lobby of GSM-based telecom service providers, on Friday said any move by DoT to set up an assessment body for measuring radiations from mobiles and base stations will be a "retrogade step" and will increase the costs for operators. It is understood that the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), DoT's technical arm, is contemplating setting up of a Conformity Assessment Body to measure radiation and provide certifications to operators. In a written communication to Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura, COAI Director General T V Ramachandran said "we believe that such a measure would be a highly retrograde step as it would not only result in undue delays, duplications of efforts but would also add significantly to the costs". He said the move is not desirable at a time when aggressive rollout at the most affordable tariffs is required. TEC is also believed to be considering display of SAR (Specification Absorption Rate) on mobile phones through the menu options. Most of the handsets sold in India comply with global emission norms, and their SAR values are displayed either in the device manual, or on the website of the mobile manufacturer. Hence the display of SAR values through menu options on screen is not required, he said. However, COAI welcomed TEC decision of adopting the guidelines prescribed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, which lay down basic restrictions and reference levels for limiting exposure to radiations from mobile base stations and handsets. "We believe adoption of ICNIRP guidelines, which are already being followed in many countries... will go a long way in ensuring that the Indian mobile operators are in compliance with the international benchmarks," he added.

Tighter security drill on cards for 3G firms 7 Jun, 2008, 0021 hrs IST, TNN KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of an unresolved BlackBerry security row and an impending rollout of 3G mobile services in India, the government has decided to tighten the security drill for prospective 3G mobile service licensees. The communications ministry will soon direct all companies who want to bid for 3G spectrum to provide national security agencies the suitable monitoring mechanism to track high-speed data transmission on 3G mobile networks. As a precursor, the DoT has asked Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) to come out with a comprehensive set of regulations for monitoring 3G mobile services. Significantly, DoT has directed its technicial wing, the TEC, to frame the regulations in consultation with the national security agencies. In an internal communique dated May 27 to TEC, the DoT said: “3G services are likely to be introduced in India soon. These services would entail very high speed data transmissions. It is felt that the present monitoring systems may not be able to handle and deliver the required legal intercept. The TEC is requested to take advance action for drafting the requisite government regulations in consultation with the national security agencies.” Elaborating, the DoT internal note adds: “There is an urgent need to finalise the necessary monitoring/security-related government regulations before the commencement of 3G mobile services in India.” DoT sources said that the TEC has been asked to submit norms to monitor 3G services by the month-end. The TEC norms will allow lawful interception without compromising the security of the data and will also specify that telcos must enter into tie-ups with third party software providers who have the tools to monitor, intercept and retian electronic records, sources said. Put simply, the government is looking at creating a platform where a copy of data sent between two 3G users via their mobile handsets are saved on the servers of the operators in a decrypted format where they can be viewed and forwarded. Such systems are already place in several countries, especially Europe and the US, where mobile traffic is stored in a readable and intelligible format, and is delivered to authorised security agencies in real time. It is also learnt that the TEC norms will specify that traffic originating and terminating in India must not be carried outside the country. In this light, a senior government official said: “The world over, most countries have their own standards for electronically monitoring voice and data traffic on high-speed digital wireless networks. The US CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, 1994) regulation is a classic case in point. While it could well serve as a model, it is for the TEC and national security agencies like Intelligence Bureau, to take a call on the ideal set of norms to deliver the required legal intercept.” Elaborating, the official added: “The upcoming security guidelines from TEC will hopefully pave the way for greater coordination between future 3G mobile service providers, the DoT and the national security agencies.” DoT’s decision to monitor 3G mobile servcies may face stiff resistance. Many believe that since a majority of the traffic would continue to be voice and not high-speed data in a 2G (Edge) or 3G digital mobile scenario, there is little sense in coming up with draconian laws. “What is the point of monitoring 3G services, when a majority of such mobile traffic will continue to be voice. Since the monitoring mechanisms for tracking 2G voice communications already exist, what is the point of coming up with a separate bunch of regulations to track 3G mobile data traffic.”

iPhone to Get VLC Player The iPhone will soon have an alternate video player that, with any luck, will offer a solution to always having to use iTunes to convert and transfer videos. Zodttd has developed an iPhone VLC player that will also work on the iPod Touch. Of course the player is still being tested and comes with only a few decoders as of now but that will change over time as the developers will no doubt increase that list. It will provide playback for MPEG / MPG, AVI, MP3 file formats as well as other media formats. Hopefully after the research has been conducted and tests complete, the media application should also include decoders for formats like, DivX, WMA and WMV, with support for FLAC and OGG. Stay Tuned. Courtesy : Tech2

^^^ My dear friends, Honestly it seems that the Honest 440 Plan is the only good plan out of all the above plans Regards.

Mobile VAS cos split over licensing plan 5 Jun, 2008, 0810 hrs IST, TNN NEW DELHI: The rift among the Rs 4,500-crore Indian mobile value-added services (MVAS) industry players is now out in the open after Trai launched its consultation process last week to licence the industry and resolve major issues such as revenue sharing with mobile operators. Some MVAS players feel that licensing of the industry will solve major issues such as opening of the access pipes and revenue share arrangements between operators and VAS providers. But others feel that the licensing will cripple the industry in the long run. CanvasM CEO Jagdish Mitra says, “Licensing criterion like a certain amount of turnover or huge fees may deter innovation and this business thrives only on creativity. Though in China and European markets, the VAS industry is regulated and growing very well, in India there should be guidelines from the government and not regulation.” According to Trai, MVAS is expected to cross 30% of the mobile telecom service provider’s revenue in the next 5-7 years. Currently, the revenue from MVAS is over 10-14% of the total revenue of mobile service providers. Players like Star TV are also opposed to licensing. “Licensing may hurt the industry as we are trying to deregulate most sectors in the economy. It will be very difficult too because the MVAS industry is highly integrated with web portals and to set up a website one does not need a license. But VAS providers need to have open access to the pipes (bandwidth) of operator. They should just charge for then bandwidth and leave the pricing to the VAS provider,” says STAR senior VP (Wireless Interactive) Viren Popli. On the other hand, there are some supporters of the licencing regime as well. “Licencing will be good for the industry. It will standardise the industry and start a journey towards resolving major issues with operators like revenue sharing. Regarding revenue share and licence fee, there is always some sacrifice involved if one has to get recognition for the industry,” says People Infocom (Mauj Telecom) CEO Manoj Dawane.

Digia to Launch New Finger Touch Browser for UIQ For Symbian UIQ handset users who always thought that their web browsing experience could have been better, it just did. Digia formerly SysOpen Digia, has recently announced that they have developed a new web browser for the Symbian UIQ platform that will incorporate finger touch browsing. The application is based on Nokia's S60 and Apple's Safari browsers. The new finger touch experience with this new browser should definitely enhance the overall experience of using the internet over the mobile platform. The browser should be out sometime this month. Courtesy : Tech2

Anil Ambani meets Mikati in chase for MTN 5 Jun, 2008, 0251 hrs IST, TNN MUMBAI: Anil Ambani, whose Reliance Communications (RCOM) is in talks with South Afrian telco MTN for a possible reverse merger, met Azmi Mikati, chief executive of M1, in London on Wednesday. The Mikati family's investment arm M1 is the second-largest shareholder in the foreign company, with a 10.2% stake. Newshelf 664 is the largest shareholder with nearly 3% more than the Mikatis. This was Mr Ambani's first meeting with Mr Mikati after the two companies announced last week that they “were in talks” which, if successful, would create a telecom colossus with 115 million subscribers in 25 countries. They had once met at a global investors’ summit but had never discussed a deal, said sources close to the development. During the two-and-a-half hour long meeting, Mr Mikati is believed to have expressed his support to the reverse merger of RCOM with MTN. Mr Ambani had, in the past one week, met Phuthuma Nhelko, CEO of MTN and a beneficiary of Newshelf 664. In fact, sources said, they have agreed to the broad contours of the deal which suggest that Mr Ambani will emerge as the single-largest shareholder of MTN with almost one-third stake while his RCOM will be a subsidiary of MTN. They have also discussed the management structure of the combined entity. Now, with Mr Mikati favouring the deal, the finalisation of the complex transaction, which needs regulatory approval from several authorities in several countries, hinges on the pricing. Both the parties are learnt to have asked for ‘control premium’. RCOM wants a control premium as it will eventually become a subsidiary of MTN, while MTN’s demand is based on the argument that it will cede control to Mr Ambani. Meanwhile, more advisors are joining the RCOM team. The latest addition is believed to be Lehman Brothers. RCOM’s advisory team is led by Ken Costa, chairman of Lazard in UK. RCOM is sending a 12-member team to MTN headquarters in Johannesburg to examine its books. The team comprising three presidents — SP Shukla, Prakash Bajpai and Punit Garg, and officials of the legal, accounts and tower business — will leave Mumbai on Thursday. They are expected to finish the first round of due diligence by June 9. A similar team from MTN is expected to visit Mumbai soon. A foreign news agency said on Thursday that Mr Ambani may invite global private equity investors to join him in his bid to conclude a deal with MTN. Although there is no significant money transaction involved in the deal as he is expected to swap his RCOM shares to get MTN shares, he may be benefited from the vast experience of the PE investors if he takes them on board. If a deal as discussed by both the parties happens, MTN will launch a 20% open offer for RCOM shareholders. Mr Ambani may also provide an option to his minority shareholders of swapping their shares to get MTN shares.

^^^ Yes my dear Abhishek, 6275 could be a better choice now. Regards.

^^^ My dear friend, should it mean that Reliance retailers are doing SOCIAL SERVICE for the customers ? Regards.

^^^ @mansuni As the rates are slashed for all circles so you can try your nearest Reliance dealer for LG6600 my dear friend. Regards.

My dear friend, this has already been posted HERE. Thats why closing the thread. Regards.

^^^ Thanks Sougata, the tone is really good. Regards.

First Phone Back up Product Introduced Leading VAS (value-added services) and data solutions company, OnMobile Global, along with Bharti Airtel, Maxis, and Indosat, has launched a phone back-up product claimed to be the first-of-its-kind. The product allows subscribers back-up all of their personal information including files, messages, videos, photos, music, contacts, calendar, and events stored on their mobile phones. To avail the product, users need to download the handset client from either the service provider's Web site or through an SMS request. To subscribe they need to send BACKUP to a toll-free number. The product/service is available on both GPRS and non-GPRS handsets for a monthly subscription fee. The service promises to address subscribers' primary concern regarding safety and security of their personal data by enabling secure transmission of subscriber data over-the-air. And, subscribers can easily retrieve their personal information over-the-air from the operator network. Commenting on the service, Arvind Rao, chief executive officer and co-founder of OnMobile Global, said the phone back-up product is aimed at consumers who value their personal information stored on their mobiles and seek to insure the same. Courtesy : Techtree

DNC stands for Dial New Customers 4 Jun, 2008, 0054 hrs IST, TNN NEW DELHI: Mom-and-pop telemarketers in India are making a mockery of Trai's do-not-call registry. Ever received a call from a telemarketer and wondered why that call was from a mobile and not a landline? Well, here is the reason: Rather than subscribing to fixed-line connections, small telemarketers are using mobile phones to bypass the brunt of the DNC registry. As soon as a young telemarketing executive joins a small call centre, he or she is armed with a dozen-odd SIM cards. If a peeved customer complains to the mobile operator as to why he or she was called up despite being registered with the DNC registry, the operator deactivates that particular mobile number for life. But the calls start coming from other mobile numbers; the agents starts using other SIM cards to call. The business of telemarketing never stops. This way they go about selling everything from a sauna belt to a personal loan to a car helpline service. Says telecom solutions and database major FlyTXT global sales director Sanjit Chatterjee, “I have received several such calls. The reasons are simple. In the US, a person cannot possess several mobile connections easily as one has to furnish social security number. A centralised database of mobile subscribers also exists which can check if a subscriber possesses multiple connections. However, it does not exist in India.” Estimates also show that seeing an incoming call from a mobile number, a subscriber is more likely to take it than miss it. “These are usually fly-by-night operators and direct selling agents who have short-term targets to meet and thus they subscribe to these unauthorised calling. We are talking to the telecom companies to develop a mechanism to block them. Brands which outsource to such call centres are only looking at a short term target and not long term relationships,” says Infovision CEO Aditya Gupta. Infovision is India’s one of largest third-party BPO companies. By chance, if an aware customer complains to Trai, it’s the mobile operator who has to pay the fine. The problem also persists because a customer in India can possess several mobile connections from the same operator or different operators. There is no check on it. And despite DoT’s repeated attempts there are still such numbers available in the market which have documents of some other person but the number is sold to a third person. These ‘second-hand’ numbers are available without submission of any documents. Despite all glitches, the mom-and-pop telemarketers are happy. These small call centres subscribe to unauthorised tactics because they don’t have the means and bandwidth to deploy IT systems which scrub data of registered DNC subscribers from non-registered ones. And they offer their services at very cheap billing rates compared to large domestic call centres.

Loop Telecom in talks to sell majority stake 4 Jun, 2008, 0045 hrs IST, TNN BANGALORE/MUMBAI: Ruias of Essar, Vodafone's JV partner, are in play to cut a new telecom deal. Loop Telecom, a subsidiary of BPL Mobile in which the Ruias of Essar have a 9.9% stake, has initiated talks with international telco giants to sell controlling stake, valuing the enterprise at around $3 billion. Sources said Middle East telecom giants Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) of Kuwait and Qatar Telecom (Q-Tel) have explored early interest in the new telecom operator. It is believed that the largest Arab player Etisalat and US giant AT&T along with Russia’s Altimo has also looked at the proposal. When contacted, BPL Mobile declined to comment. Sources said two investment banks have been mandated to scout for a partner. Loop could look at selling up to 74% stake in the company. Earlier this year, Loop received nod to start GSM operations in most of India’s 23 telecom circles, and figures in the ongoing spectrum allocation. Incidentally, banking sources said Essar may also look at the option of combining its stake in BPL Mobile, which operates in the lucrative Mumbai circle. This is interesting as BPL Mobile’s majority shareholding is under arbitration following a dispute with the Vodafone JV. “BPL figures in early dialogue with potential suitors, but it’s not clear as to how it will be structured as part of the Loop transaction,” a source said, while explaining that the final valuation of Essar’s standalone telecom interests would depend on the structure they put before the investors. Sectoral analysts said Loop proposal may be one of the sought-after ones in a market where several deals are at play simultaneously. The country’s new operators, which received the nod early this year, are currently in the market scouting for strategic partners. The list includes Videocon-promoted Datacom, realty major Unitech, and Swan Telecom, which is linked to a Mumbai real estate house. The list excludes other ongoing deals involving established players like Tata Teleservices and Spice Telecom. ET has already reported that Etisalat has emerged as a strong front-runner to take 8-10% stake in Tata Tele for about $1 billion. And it is the Middle East telcos that lead the list of foreign players seeking entry into India’s booming telcom market, besides AT&T and European giants like Telekom Italia, which has renewed interest in the domestic market. The global telcos are seen exploring most of the potential deals on offer. India’s telecom regulations, which allow foreign players to hold a maximum 74% stake in a company, prevent the same entity from acquiring more than 10% in rival firms. This would restrain Etisalat from picking up major exposures in multiple companies with which it is in discussions.

RCom appoints Ken Costa as advisor for negotiations with MTN 3 Jun, 2008, 1809 hrs IST, PTI LONDON: Reliance Communications, India's second-largest private mobile operator, has appointed city-based banker Ken Costa to advise the firm on negotiations with South Africa's MTN, a media report said on Tuesday. Both MTN and billionaire Anil Ambani-led RCom entered exclusive talks for a possible merger last month. "Ken Costa, the veteran London-based banker, has been appointed by Reliance Communications, the second largest Indian mobile company, to advise on its negotiations with MTN, Africa's largest wireless group," The Times said. Costa is the chairman of Lazard's international business and co-head of UK investment banking. "The Reliance advisory role will be seen as a coup for the dealmaker, who rivals say was brought in to bolster Lazard's profile, which had recently slipped on big-ticket mandates," it added. The Times said the options being discussed by Reliance and MTN involve an arrangement under which Anil Ambani would take 34 per cent of an enlarged MTN, a holding that would make him the largest single stakeholder but would not trigger an obligatory open offer for the remainder of the South African company. "Combined, the companies would form the fourth-largest mobile group in the world, after China Mobile, Vodafone and China Unicom," it said. According to the report, published on the newspaper's online edition, Costa's past deals include the relocation of Anglo American, the mining giant from Johannesburg to London, and the acquisition of the Ritz by the Barclay brothers, Sir David and Sir Frederick, in 1995. "Earlier this year he advised Olivant, the investment vehicle owned by former UBS executive Luqman Arnold on its failed bid for Northern Rock," the report added.

Spice Comm says open to stake sale offers 3 Jun, 2008, 1654 hrs IST NEW DELHI: Spice Communications is open to all offers, including stake sale, and is currently waiting for a proposal from Telekom Malaysia before it takes a decision, its chairman said. Telekom Malaysia ™ holds 39.2 percent in the Indian telecom services provider. Spice, which currently has operations in two of the 23 telecom circles, needs funds to expand. "We have got four new licenses and are hoping to get more. We have to expand company's capital and total investment," Bhupendra Modi told reporters on the sidelines of annual shareholders meet. Modi said although firms like UAE's Emirates Telecommunications (Etisalat) have been in talks with Spice, he was waiting for an offer from TM as Indian laws permit a maximum of 74 percent foreign holding in telecoms. "As TM has already 39 percent, any restructuring on the foreign side has to be done with TM. So it is TM who has to finally decide and then they will propose to us," Modi said. Spice is open to TM raising its stake to 74 percent or bringing in new partners. India, the world's fastest-growing mobile services market and the second-largest market after China, has lured foreign firms like Vodafone Plc, which last year bought a controlling stake in the third-largest local cellular firm. SingTel , Southeast Asia's top phone firm, owns more than 30 percent of market leader Bharti Airtel. Others like Etisalat, AT&T have been looking forward to make inroads in India. "As and when they ™ will be ready, I will talk to them...Once they have found a solution, I will not take more than 48 hours," Modi said. He, however, said he will not like any offer below 60 rupees a share. "That was the price at which the share was quoted just after the initial public offering...I have committed to shareholders not to make a deal below 60," Modi said. Asked if he was ready to part away with the company, he said, "Today in a dynamic world you cannot be emotional. We are a mature business and are open to all offers." Shares of the company closed 2.3 percent down at 57.25 rupees in a weak Mumbai market.

Motorola Backs Wimax Over 3G in India Telecommunications giant Motorola Inc., a Fortune 100 company, says that the newer Wimax technology scores over 3G in data transmission capabilities and that it's the broadband route India needed to take. Wimax or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is a non-cellular telecommunications technology, which like 3G has the capability to transfer data wirelessly over long distances. But while 3G offers speeds in the range of 5.8-14.4 mega bits a second, Wimax has the potential to "deliver 70 mega bits over the same spectrum", a senior Motorola executive says. "This technology enables better speeds than the standard 3G and even traditional broadband connections," Tarvinder Singh, Motorola India's head of marketing and product management, told IANS. Incidentally, the Department of Telecom will auction the 2.1 GHz and higher spectrum band - which will support both the technologies - some time this month. And Singh says service providers winning the bids ought to opt for Wimax. His assertion comes on the heels of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) inducting the Wimax technology as part of its 3G standard, the first non-cellular telecommunication technology to get ITU approval. Researchers at Nokia-Siemens Networks and Heinrich Hertz Institute have showcased a futuristic 3G technology, the Long Term Evolution or LTE, which has a transfer speed of 100 mega bits per second. But Singh is unimpressed. "Those who swear allegiance to 3G bank upon its development into LTE, which is still at a development stage and cannot be introduced before 2011 commercially," he added. Singh said India couldn't wait till 2011 to provide Internet access and modern technology to its towns and villages. "We are already lagging behind other nations. Wireless broadband in the form of Wimax can solve the problem of building infrastructure for wired Internet access."

DoT decentralises registration of call centres 3 Jun, 2008, 2056 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecom has decided to decentralise the registration of call centres (domestic and international) and telemarketers, a move that is expected to make it easier to get government approval. Call centres and telemarketers can register in any Vigilance Telecom Monitoring (VTM) cells across the country, as against getting the registration from the Department of Telecom (Headquarters), an official said Earlier on September 1, 2007, government decentralised the registrations of call centres under the Other Service Provider (OSP) category and the Telemarketers under Telemarketing category from the DoT (Headquarters) to the respective Vigilance Telecom Monitoring (VTM) Cells of 10 circles in the first phase. "The is has proved successful and pendency has come down. Therefore, it has been decided to decentralize Registration under OSP/Telemarketing further to all VTM Cells," it added. The new phase of decentralisation is effective from June, 2008.

Spice open to Telekom Malaysia raising stake to 74% 3 Jun, 2008, 1346 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: Telecom service provider Spice Communications on Tuesday said it is mulling a stake sale and is open to Telekom Malaysia raising its stake to 74 per cent in the company. The Malaysian firm Telekom Malaysia ™ now holds 39.2 per cent stake in the Indian firm. Spice is also open to the UAE-based telecom firm Etisalat and others having a stake in it. TM partners Etisalat and NTT DoCoMo in some markets, Chairman, Spice Communications B K Modi said, adding that "if they want to bring them in as part of the deal (for taking stake to 74 pct), we are open to that." Modi said Spice is in talks with TM and the company is yet to receive any proposal from the latter. He further said that for any deal, the buyers will have to pay at least Rs 60 a share for the stake. "We are open to all offers..... I have said earlier I would not like shares to be below Rs 60. We will try to get the maximum for shareholders," he added. Shares in Spice were trading 4.44 per cent down at Rs 56.

^^^ @Vijay My dear friend, Buy / Sell Forum in Rimweb is a separate a forum now. You have to open Buy / Sell Bazaar forum from the Forums page of our beloved Rimweb. When it got opened then click at View New Posts. Then only you will be able to see all new Buy / Sell posts. Regards.