Telecom Sector

India Adds 15.41 Mln Mobile Users In January 2009

India Adds 15.41 Mln Mobile Users In January 09Indian telecom industry has added a record number of customers during the last month (Jan 2009).

The industry said that it added 15.41 million telephone connections during Jan 2009, which is the largest increase in a single month.

In a major announcement, TRAI said that presently it has more than 400 million telecom connections, as against December 2008’s total of 384.76 million.

With this, the overall number of people using mobile phones in India has gone up to 362.30 million, as compared to the 233.63 million during January 2008.

BSNL Rolls Out Its 3G Services

BSNL Rolls Out Its 3G ServicesThe government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd started its next generation 3G mobile services in the country even as the private operators are still waiting to get spectrum through auction process.

Earlier last year, ahead of auction for private players, both BSNL and MTNL (for Delhi and Mumbai) were given 3G spectrum.  

For the private operators, the government has referred the issue of 3G spectrum auction to a Group of Ministers in view of inter-ministerial differences over the reserve price.

Mobile User Base Added 15 Million In Jan 09

Mobile User Base Added 15 Million In Jan 09Here’s a good news for the Indians as the telecom market in the country added a record number of customers in a single month.

In India, more than 15 million telephone connections were added during the last month.

In its latest report, TRAI said that the country now has over 400 million telecom connections. With this, the total number of those people who are using mobiles in the country has gone to 362.30 million.

Reliance Globalcom wins multi-year contract from UK-based firm

Reliance Globalcom wins multi-year contract from UK-based firmReliance Globalcom, the international arm of telecom service provider Reliance Communications, has secured a multi-year contract from British optical retailer Specsavers for its enterprise solution.

Under the arrangement, Reliance Globalcom will supply its enterprise solution for connecting 1,150 worldwide retail outlets of the retailer. The deal covers 10 countries across Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

However, the financial details of the deal have not been disclosed by the company.

Bharti Airtel hikes its stake in Bharti Hexacom to 70%

Bharti Airtel hikes its stake in Bharti Hexacom to 70%Bharti Airtel, Asia's leading integrated telecom services provider on Friday said that it has hiked its stake in Bharti Hexacom to 70 per cent by acquiring 1.1 per cent from a Kuwait-based firm.

Under the deal, Bharti Airtel Ltd has acquired 1.11 per cent stake, or 2,780,306 equity shares, in Bharti Hexacom Ltd from Mobile Telecommunications Co, KSC, Kuwait.

With this latest acquisition, the company's shareholding in Bharti Hexacom stands higher at 70 per cent from 68.89 per cent.

Nokia secures loan from European Investment Bank for research

Nokia launches new handsetsHelsinki - Nokia, the world's largest maker of mobile phones, said Thursday it had secured a 500 million-euro (629 million- dollar) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The five-year loan was to be used to co-finance software research and development (R&D) projects, mainly for Nokia's Symbian-based smartphones, Nokia said.

Symbian is an open-source operating system used for mobile devices, and is supported by among others Nokia.

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