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India is second-largest mobile phone user in the World : Ghulam Nabi Azad

India is the second-largest mobile phone user with over 900mn users in the world. It accounted for over 10% of the world’s online population in 2011. This was stated by  Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare in London today.

Addressing the seminar on “The Role of Health Informatics - How Health is making difference to ordinary people in India” at Healthcare & Life Sciences Global Business Summit,  Azad said that mobile telecommunications have seen tremendous growth in India. This growth has been inclusive with benefits accruing to the poorest households in the remotest regions of the country.

In 2011 alone, 142mn mobile-cellular subscriptions were added in India, twice as many as in the whole of Africa, and more than in the Arab States, CIS and Europe put together. The mobile tariffs in India have become among the lowest in the world. A new mobile connection can be activated with a monthly commitment of 15 cents only.

Recognizing the potential to reach out to people, especially those living in remote areas and adolescents he said that Government of India has recently taken steps to integrate and enhance existing Health related - IT enabled Systems.

Bharti Airtel, Vodafone given extra spectrum: CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly said that incumbent telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India were given additional spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz, up to 10 MHz, in undue haste in January 2002.

CBI also said that allocation was done by the then communications minister, Pramod Mahajan, in association with some officers in the DoT (department of telecom) bypassing the opinions of the member (finance), the wireless adviser and even the highest decision-making body in the DoT.

This move is significant as it is the first evidence of the 2G scam investigation looking at decisions taken by the NDA government before 2008, report says.

In focus Stories

TRAI releases “Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report” for March quarter

TRAI ( Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) today released the “Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report” for the Quarter ending March 2012. The Report provides a broad perspective of the Telecom Services and presents the key parameters and growth trends for the Telecom Services as well as Cable TV, DTH & Radio Broadcasting services in India for the period January to March 2012, and is compiled on the basis of information furnished by the Service Providers.
The following are the highlights of the Report :
 
The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 926.53 mn at the end of Dec-11 to 951.34 mn at the end of Mar-12, registering a growth of 2.68% over the previous quarter as against 2.16% during the QE Dec-11. This reflects year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth of 12.41% over the same quarter of last year. The overall Tele-density in India has reached 78.66 as on 31stMarch, 2012.

Subscription in Urban Areas grew from 611.19 mn at the end of Dec-11 to 620.52 mn at the end of Mar-12, taking the Urban Teledensity from 167.85 to 169.55. Rural subscription increased from 315.33 mn to 330.82 mn, and the Rural Teledensity increased from 37.48 to 39.22. Share of Rural areas in total subscription has increased from 34.03% at the end of Dec-11 to 34.77% at the end of Mar-12.

About 37.61% of the total net additions have been in Urban areas as compared to 49.87% in the previous quarter. Rural subscription growth rate increased from 3.22% in QE Dec-11 to 4.91% in QE Mar-12, and Urban subscription growth rate declined from 1.63% in QE Dec-11 to 1.53% in QE Mar-12.

Domestic News

Sun TV Network ties up with Arasu Cable

Sun TV Network Ltd has informed BSE that the Company has concluded an agreement with Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Ltd., an undertaking owned by the Government of Tamil Nadu engaged in the business of providing signals to Cable Operators in the State of Tamil Nadu.

This agreement will enable the total availability of the Company's channels on all cable TV distribution systems run by Arasu Cable across the state of Tamil Nadu with immediate effect. Sun TV already enjoys a dominant market share in terms of viewership ratings and the new arrangement will facilitate in further enhancing the competitive positioning of the Company's extremely popular programming. The Company will also now start earning additional subscription revenues from Tamil Nadu.

Tata Communications arm emerges as India’s largest managed ATM services provider 

Tata Communications Banking InfraSolutions (TCBIL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Communications, specialising in payment solutions for the banking and financial services sector, has emerged as the largest managed ATM service provider in the country as it signs a milestone contract to deploy and manage nearly 14,000 ATMs for all public sector banks across Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, West Bengal & Andaman & Nicobar and Andhra Pradesh.

With this win, TCBIL has become India’s largest managed ATM services provider, with almost 27,000 contracted ATMs nationwide.
 
Sudip Kumar, President, Tata Communications Banking InfraSolutions Ltd., said, “We are honoured to have won this prestigious mandate to assist the public sector banks in their endeavour to expand their ATM networks. This is a huge endorsement of our competence in the banking infrasolutions space as we commenced operations only three years ago. TCBIL will function as a one-stop solution to the banks for the entire value chain - from identifying locations to implementing the ATM as per their bespoke brand guidelines.”

Bharti Airtel plans equity issue: reports

Bharti Airtel is planning to issue new shares to the public or institutional investors, according to reports.

Reports said that the company was examining options as part of a wider exercise to bolster finances that are weighed down by a $12.7-bn debt load.

There are reports that HSBC and Standard Chartered have received the mandate for the possible share sale, which could be done either by way of a follow-on offer of shares to the public or through a placement to qualified institutional investors

Videocon Mobiles Phones launches new range of top-of-the-line Feature and Touch Phones

Videocon Mobiles Phones, has announced the launch of its new range of top-of-the-line Feature and Touch Phones, which offer stylish designs along with top of the line audio & video capabilities, targeted towards mobile generation.

Encompassing the V1542, V1548, V1531+ and the V1580, the new range of stylish yet affordable phones brings in features which make them the first choice of the highly evolved mobile users of today. With extremely affordable prices, the range offers consumers Dual SIM connectivity options, along with entertainment options like Audio & Video Player, FM Radio and Movie Juke Box application.

Featuring Micro USB connection along with GPRS and Internet support, the range brings to the consumers enhanced internet browsing capabilities which clubbed with embedded social networking apps like Facebook & Twitter, enhance the social interaction for the users.

Tulip Telecom wins Rs 872.3mn  Order

Tulip Telecom Ltd (Tulip), India’s leading Enterprise Data Services provider, has won a project worth Rs 872.3mn for hosting data centre space from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for its Unique ID project ‘Adhaar’. Tulip Telecom will host UIDAI servers from ‘Tulip Data City’ based out of Bangalore. The duration of this project is for 3 years and is extendable further.
 
Through this partnership, Tulip will provide premium data center space to UIDAI to host IT infrastructure that will power the World’s largest database. In addition to the Data Centre space, Tulip will also be providing a support area for UIDAI

Exset launches solutions for Cable Operators

GTL EBITDA at Rs76.1mn

Global News

Apple- Twitter talks end...No deal

Apple is not in talks with Twitter about investing in the operator of a micro- blogging service, according to reports.

Reports stated that the companies were in discussions more than a year ago and talks ended without an agreement.

The deal would have valued Twitter at more than $10 bin, says report.

Italia SpA H1 net profit at EUR1.24 bn

Italy's biggest telecommunications operator Telecom Italia SpA  sales rose in the first half of the year as a decline in its Italian home market was offset by strong growth in Argentina and Brazil, according to reports.

Reports stated that Overall revenue for the six months to June 30 rose 1.7% to 14.79 bn euros ($18.1 billion).

Net profit for the first half totaled EUR1.24 billion, compared with a EUR2 billion loss a year earlier,says report.