ITV

Tag: PMRTS

  • Trai’s draft suggestions on unified licensing regime

    NEW DELHI: Telecom, broadcast and cable regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), has come out with its draft recommendation on ‘Unified Licensing Regime’ (ULR), which is likely to pave the way for liberalised regime in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector and encourage free growth of new applications and services leveraging on the technological developments.

    In view of the impact that this policy document may have on the ICT industry, in a departure from usual practice, Trai has decided to consider the comments, if any, of stakeholders before submitting the recommendations to the government.

    It may be recalled that the government had accepted Trai’s ULR recommendations, dated 27 October 2003. The recommendations envisaged a two-stage process to introduce a unified licensing regime in the country. The first phase that entails a unified access service license at circle
    level has already been implemented.

    The key objective of the unified licensing/authorisation regime is to encourage free growth of new applications and services leveraging on the technological developments in the ICT area. Other main objectives of the ULR are to simplify the procedure of licensing in the telecom sector, ensure flexibility and efficient utilisation of resources, keeping in mind the technological developments, encourage efficient small operators to cover niche areas in particular rural, remote and
    telecommunication-facilities-wise less developed areas and to ensure easy entry, level playing field and ??no- worse off?¦ situation for existing operators.

    The salient features of Trai’s recommendations are as follows:

    * There shall be three categories of licenses;
    (1) Unified License where all public networks including switched networks, irrespective of media and technology, capable of offering voice and/or non-voice (data services)
    including Internet telephony shall be covered under this category
    (2) Class license where all services including satellite services which do not have both way connectivity with Public network shall be covered under Class license. This category excludes Radio Paging and PMRTS Services and includes Niche Operators. (The concept of niche operators is being included to promote growth of telecom services in rural / remote / backward areas from teledensity point of view
    (3) Licensing through authorisation where the category will cover the services for provision of passive infrastructure and
    bandwidth services to service provider(s), radio paging, PMRTS and Internet services, including existing restricted Internet telephony (PC to PC, SIP device to SIP devise using lease line only and PC to phones-phones outside India only) but not Internet telephony, in general.

    * This licensing framework shall be hierarchical in nature with unified license being at the highest hierarchical level. Such a licensing regime would enable a licensee to provide any or all telecom services by acquiring a single license.

    * The amount of registration charge for unified license will decrease to Rs 30 lakhs by the fifth year.

    * The Government may consider reviewing universal service obligation (USO) policy to reduce USO contribution as well as administrative cost in terms of percentage of AGR. The issues related to USO including contribution to USO and scope shall be dealt with separately through a consultation process.

    * In the new licensing Regime there shall be no restriction on usage of Internet telephony or other IP enabled services provided they are offered by operators with Unified License who have duly paid registration charges of NLD and UASL and who will be subjected to license fees. In the interest of security, suitable monitoring equipment as may be prescribed will be provided by the licensee for monitoring as and when required by the licensor.

    * Migration to ULR will be optional at this stage. However, after a period of five years when there shall be a nominal registration charge (entry fee of Rs 30 lakhs). It shall be mandatory for all telecom operators to migrate to ULR. All new service providers shall be licensed under new ULR.

  • Subhash Chandra’s ASC Enterprises gets new chief in Punit Goenka

    Subhash Chandra’s ASC Enterprises gets new chief in Punit Goenka

    One more piece of the big picture that media mogul Subhash Chandra has envisioned for his group of companies has been fit into its slot. Elder son Punit Goenka, who has been groomed for the job, formally takes over as group president & CEO of ASC Enterprises Limited (ASCEL) Group of Companies effective 1 February.

    Current CEO Jai Singh, who oversaw the building of the new ASC as a holding company for multiple businesses, steps down at close of business tomorrow. Singh will continue to be on the board of Agrani Satellite Services Limited (ASSL) in an advisory role but it will be Goenka, currently senior V-P business development, who will be running things. 

    Punit Goenka takes over at a time when Chandra’s long in gestation Agrani satellite project is all set to finally kick off with, according to Singh, financial closure just weeks away. Singh sees 18 months as the lead time required for the satellite to be up and operational once closure comes through.

    Announcing the change, Chandra “expressed his regret at Jai Singh’s decision to step down in order to return to UK to spend more time with his family, but said that he understood the need. Chandra thanked Jai Singh for his leadership role in and contributions to the building of the new and expressed satisfaction that his advice and guidance will continue to be available,” an official release states. 

    Jai Singh said that it had been his privilege to have worked over the last 41 months with Chandra and the ASC Team in making the new ASCEL. The new, recast ASCEL as a holding Company has given birth to three companies – Agrani Convergence Ltd, rolling out Agrani Switch technology retail stores with 12 stores already in operation; Agrani Wireless Services Ltd which, with the acquisition of four operating public mobile radio trunking services (PMRTS) companies within the group in 2001, now has India’s largest PMRTS operations; and Agrani Satellite at the threshold of transitioning into its implementation phase.

    In addition, during this period Chandra, through Agrani Holdings (Mauritius) Limited, also partnered Craig McCaw, the US Wireless Pioneer, in New ICO.

    With top class basic teams and leadership already in place in ASC and its enterprises, which are only going to get stronger with time, Jai Singh said it was a “convenient time for him as well as ASC for him to step down in order to return to his family in the UK.”

    Punit Goenka began his career in 1993 with the Essel Group, he has held various senior full-time positions in other Group Companies. Since December 1997, he has been involved in ASCEL, initially as V-P, co-ordination and operations.

    Punit Goenka takes the reins at ASCEL exactly five months after Chandra’s younger son Amit Goenka took over as MD of Zee Interactive Learning Systems Limited on 1 September 2001. Amit Goenka took over from Uma Ganesh who resigned from ZILS, after steering the company for a few years.