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Tag: Telecom Secretary

  • K Rajaraman gets additional charge as MeitY secretary

    K Rajaraman gets additional charge as MeitY secretary

    Mumbai: Telecom secretary K Rajaraman has been given additional responsibility as secretary of the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) following the retirement of Ajay Prakash Sawhney.

    The department of personnel and training on Monday notified of several new appointments on account of retirement of several bureaucrats in various government departments.

    Rajaraman is a 1989 batch IAS officer from Tamil Nadu and will take charge with immediate effect “till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further order, whichever is earlier,” said the ministry of personnel and training.

    Rajaraman took over as telecom secretary after Anshu Prakash retired last year. Earlier, he had worked as additional secretary in the department of economic affairs.

  • Government names K Rajaram as new telecom secretary

    Government names K Rajaram as new telecom secretary

    Mumbai: The central government has appointed K Rajaram as the new telecom secretary, according to a report by Economic Times.

    Rajaram is a Tamil Nadu cadre 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, currently working as an additional secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). He takes over the role of telecom secretary as his predecessor Anshu Prakash retires on 30 September.

    His appointment has been announced just a week after the government declared several relief measures for the telecom sector, including steps to convert the government’s dues to telcos as equity over time in a bid to ensure a three-private player telecom market.

  • Indian equipment makers keen to export telecom goods

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Government is keen to partner with ASEAN countries in enabling Digital Connectivity between India and ASEAN region and also for enabling broadband within ASEAN countries.

    India said these digital connectivity projects are of strategic importance and can have a transformative impact on the economy and cooperation between ASEAN and India.

    This was stated during talks between India and telecom ministers, senior government officials and industry leaders from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos PDR, Indonesia and Bhutan to commemorate the 25th year of the ASEAN India relations

    Organized by the TEPC (Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council), the inter-ministerial meeting was led on the Indian side by Communications Minister Manoj Sinha.

    India has committed to provide financial as well as technological support for projects that could include-high-speed fiber optic networks, digital villages, rural broadband, national knowledge network, secured communication networks and telecom training and skill development.

    Taking part in the discussions, Vihaan Networks Limited (VNL) Chairman Rajiv Mehrotra said “To take the telecom revolution in India to its new level of growth, the domestic equipment manufacturers should come forward and take the lead. Today such a concerted move will also fulfill the government’s vision of Make In India and bring in significant indigenization which is the need of the hour.”

    Telecom Secretary J S Deepak said “The potential of partnership between India and ASEAN in the arena of telecom is significant. There is a huge demand for capacity building which the Indian partners can contribute.”

    Indian companies have created world-class products and solutions which are not only of the highest quality and are also very cost-competitive. They are therefore keen to export to customers in ASEAN region, who have similar requirements like India.

  • TRAI says get spectrum from Defence, denies Govt. has no authority to ask BSNL to return unused spectrum

    TRAI says get spectrum from Defence, denies Govt. has no authority to ask BSNL to return unused spectrum

    NEW DELHI: Expressing concern that the constrained supply of spectrum poses a real threat to the continuity of services being provided to millions of subscribers by the expiry licensees, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has reiterated its earlier recommendation for a dialogue at the level of the Ministers for Finance, Communications, Defence to ensure the availability of additional spectrum for commercial use.
     
    In a letter to the Telecom Secretary, the Authority has said the non-availability of sufficient spectrum is the biggest impediment to the realisation of the stated goals in NTP- 2012 for broadband proliferation. The Authority re-emphasised the need to increase the supply of spectrum.
     
    The letter was in response to the DoT’s reference of 14 November seeking some clarifications on recommendations on Valuation and Reserve Price of Spectrum Licenses expiring in 2015-16 sent on 15 October.  
     
    There is no change in the reserve prices for spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands from what were recommended earlier.
     
    The   Authority reiterated that steps should be  taken to  make available additional spectrum in  the  900, 1800 and 2100 MHz bands by  taking back 1.2  MHz of 900 MHz spectrum from BSNL,  utilising idle  1800 MHz spectrum in  the  Defence band and vacating spectrum held in excess of 20 MHz by Defence in the 1800 MHz ban.
     
    The Authority’s recommendation for the implementation of E-GSM band is one of the ways to enhance the supply of 900 MHz band spectrum which is considered by operators (the market) to be the most valuable spectrum. The option needs to be given serious consideration by the government.
     
    In the 2100 MHz band, an additional 3 blocks of 2×5 MHz of spectrum can be made available by swapping spectrum in this band with Defence which can be assigned spectrum in the 1900 MHz   band (1910-1920/1980-1990 MHz).
     
    The spectrum in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands should be auctioned together (simultaneously). Uncertainty would continue if auction of spectrum in the 2100 MHz is taken up later.
     
    The government should announce its decision on the adoption of APT700 band plan. It should also announce the roadmap for the auction of spectrum in 700 MHz band. This should be done before the conduct of the upcoming auctions in 900/1800 MHz band. These two decisions will help in the faster development of the device eco-system. It will also help TSPs to take an informed decision when bidding for the upcoming auction in 800/900/1800 MHz bands.
     
    The Authority had recommended that 1.2 MHz spectrum in 900 MHz band should be taken back from BSNL from all the LSAs where licences expire in 2015-16 except in Punjab. In lieu, BSNL should be assigned 1.2 MHz in the 1800 MHz band only in those LSAs where its spectrum holding in that band is less than 3.8 MHz in this band i.e. in Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal. However, the DoT said it had no jurisdiction to take back spectrum from BSNL to which TRAI has said the PSUs (MTNL/BSNL) were awarded the spectrum in the 900 MHz band administratively and free of charge. Both the PSUs are government-owned companies and the government has every right to take the spectrum back from them if they are not using it optimally and efficiently. “It is inexplicable to take the stand that the government, being a sovereign and as owner of the PSU companies cannot resume spectrum given to the PSUs free of charge.” Besides, the DoT, being the licensor, has to ensure that spectrum is put to optimal use and an operator does not squat on invaluable spectrum.
     
    In this context, TRAI said it was worth recalling that being government companies, the government assigned 3G and BWA spectrum to them without their participation in the auctions. This spectrum was literally foisted on the PSUs. Later, when they just could not use the BWA spectrum, the government allowed them to surrender BWA spectrum and decided to refund the payment made by these PSUs.