State firm in talks with Huawei, ZTE after govt writes off Rs 2,820 cr in losses

Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) Ltd, the state-owned telecom equipment manufacturer, is talking to foreign firms such as Huawei and ZTE for joint ventures in manufacturing advanced telecom equipment, sources said.

The loss-making public sector unit will float a tender inviting quotations from telecom equipment manufacturers within a month.

ITI is seeking partnerships in three new product categories —Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) equipment, optical transmission and switching equipment, and IP core network systems.

Sebi says no separate approval needed if existing platform used on mobile interface

The mobile phone — your soulmate, secret keeper, data sorter and status symbol — will now be your stock broker, too.

Brokers, big and small, are likely to begin offering trading facility on mobile phones as regulators seemed to have been convinced over the safety of transactions through this medium.

By August this year (2009), the mobile phone users will not have to get through the bothersome routine of updating every person regarding a number change in case they want to switch their service provider.

Mr. A Raja, Union Communications and IT Minister, has announced that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has decided to launch Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in India by August 2009.

Initially, the service will be introduced in the major cities, followed by other cities by the end of this year.

DoT guidelines after clarifications from Trai

If not 3G (third generation) telecom service during the current UPA regime, the government has ensured that at least mobile virtual network operation (MVNO) comes into India soon.

Six months after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommended introduction of MVNO service, the government has accepted it.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will now issue the MVNO guidelines —- but only after it receives clarifications from Trai on certain issues.

It is believed that applications from many global MVNOs are with the DoT.

Across the world, there are around 360 planned or operational MVNOs.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), the state-owned telecom firm, is readying to give information technology (IT) firms a run for their money. It will offer client companies all office-related software solutions as well as network connectivity. A formal announcement is expected from BSNL this March, sources said.

BSNL has been a provider of network bandwidth since its inception. About two years ago, it entered into a tie-up with Chennai-based Novatium to provide a personal computer (PC) - NetPC - for less than Rs 5,000. NetPC users can access all software applications by downloading them from the internet.

New York - Telephone equipment giant Nortel Networks Corp on Wednesday announced plans to cut 3,200 jobs worldwide as it struggles to emerge from bankruptcy protection.

The 114-year-old Canadian company filed for bankruptcy protection in January, and received an extension of that until May 1.

Nortel said the job cuts would take place over several months and are in addition to 1,800 workforce reductions already announced. The company also won't pay any bonuses under its incentive plan for last year.