Delaying Qualcomm's ISP Licence : Failing after succeeding spectacularly The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) seems intent on undoing one its most spectacular successes.  Last year, it auctioned spectrum for two important wireless technologies viz 3G and BWA (Broadband Wireless Access), which can help deliver broadband services across India speedily and cheaply.  It was praised for conducting a remarkably transparent auction and for delivering a whopping Rs.105000 crores (ove...

The last year of the decade has been an eventful one The last year of the decade has been an eventful one, to say the least. On the one hand, after two years of postponement and apprehensions, the 3G and BWA auctions proved to be a stunning success with the government raking in over Rs 677 billion. On the other, the closing two months of the year had the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report pointing to a large-scale scam involving billions of rupees, which...

Active infrastructure sharing: Yet to take centrestage Despite the government notifying guidelines for active infrastructure sharing in 2008, the concept, unlike passive infrastructure sharing, has yet to gain traction in the Indian market, cost benefits notwithstanding. While small beginnings have been made with operators entering into intra-circle roaming agreements, the industry is still evaluating the business models in this segment. However, while in finan...