The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Thursday allowed telecom major Bharti Airtel to continue with its Aadhaar-based eKYC verification for its subscribers till January 10, sources said. The relief has been given with certain riders, sources added.

The UIDAI has, however, refused to give any relief to &#39;suspension&#39; order on Airtel Payments Bank, sources said. This means customers also won&#39;t be able open their new account in Airtel Payment Bank.

The UIDAI has, earlier this month, temporarily banned Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Banks from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) process.

The action was taken after the allegations that Bharti Airtel is using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their &quot;informed consent.&quot;

The UIDAI also took strong objection to the allegations that such payment bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy.

Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank are found be violating a section of the Aadhaar Act 2016, which mandates explicit consent of the individuals.

Airtel has been opening Airtel Payments Bank Account, without the consent of the user, as they link the SIMs to the Aadhaar card.

According to reports, more than 23 Lakh customers have their Airtel Payments Bank Account without any prior awareness.

UIDAI observed that as per agreement with the authority, Airtel and Airtel bank are under obligation to ensure security and privacy of a resident&#39;s identity information.

(With PTI inputs)

Airtel and Airtel Payment Bank are found be violating a section of the Aadhaar Act 2016, which mandates explicit consent of the individuals.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Thursday allowed telecom major Bharti Airtel to continue with its Aadhaar-based eKYC verification for its subscribers till January 10, sources said. The relief has been given with certain riders, sources added. The UIDAI has, however, refused to give any relief to 'suspension' order on Airtel Payments Bank, sources said. This means customers also won't be able open their new account in Airtel Payment Bank. The UIDAI has, earlier this month, temporarily banned Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Banks from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) process. The action was taken after the allegations that Bharti Airtel is using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their "informed consent." The UIDAI also took strong objection to the allegations that such payment bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy. Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank are found be violating a section of the Aadhaar Act 2016, which mandates explicit consent of the individuals. Airtel has been opening Airtel Payments Bank Account, without the consent of the user, as they link the SIMs to the Aadhaar card. According to reports, more than 23 Lakh customers have their Airtel Payments Bank Account without any prior awareness. UIDAI observed that as per agreement with the authority, Airtel and Airtel bank are under obligation to ensure security and privacy of a resident's identity information. (With PTI inputs)

UIDAI allows Airtel to continue Aadhaar-based eKYC verification for now, say sources

Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Banks have been temporarily banned from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of Mobile customers using eKYC (ELectronic Know Your Customer) process and e-KYC of payments bank clients by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

The action was taken after the allegations that Bharti Airtel is using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their &quot;informed consent.&quot;

As&nbsp;Airtel is on the interim ban, it won&#39;t be able to e-verify or link mobile SIMs with the Aadhaar ID through the eKYC process of UIDAI.&nbsp;

Customers also won&#39;t be able open their new account in Airtel Payment Bank.

A spokesperson for Airtel said, &quot;We can confirm that we have received an interim order from the UIDAI regarding temporary suspension of Aadhaar linked e-KYC services till their satisfaction on certain processes relating to Airtel payment banks onboarding of customers.&quot;

&quot;We are engaging with the authority and are hopeful of an early resolution. We are also undertaking to complete the said actions on priority and have commenced thorough checks of our process flows.

&nbsp;&quot;Being compliant to all guidelines is paramount to us. In the interim, any inconvenience to our customers is regretted.&quot;

The UIDAI also took strong&nbsp;objection to the allegations that such payment bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy.

The Airtel and Airtel Banks are found be violating a different section of the Aadhaar Act 2016, which mandates explicit consent of the individuals.

According to the law, the violations could lead to a fine of one lakh per day and termination of authentication user agreements.

Airtel has been opening Airtel Payments Bank Account, without the consent of the user, as they link the SIMs to the Aadhaar card.

According to reports, more than 23 Lakh customers have their Airtel Payments Bank Account without any prior awareness.

UIDAI observed that as per agreement with the authority, Airtel and Airtel bank are under obligation to ensure security and privacy of a resident&#39;s identity information.

An audit has also been ordered to examine if the Airtel&nbsp;and Airtel Payments Bank are in compliance with the Aadhaar Act. It will be conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.&nbsp;

According to the sources, when Airtel received the first notice it stated that they have amended the process and the opening of a bank account is delinked from the verification process.

Airtel also received a notice after the previous but even then the authority was receiving complaints about the unauthorised opening of Airtel Payments Bank accounts.

UIDAI also reviewed the Airtel Mobile app in which they saw that along with the welcome message, a pre-ticked consent box appears for a moment which states, &quot;Upgrade or create&nbsp;my Airtel Payment Bank wallet using existing Airtel mobile KYC&quot; which is found to be a disregard of Aadhaar Act and Regulations.&nbsp;

(With inputs from news agency) 
&nbsp;

The temporary action was taken by the UIDAI after the allegations that Bharti Airtel is using the verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their 'informed consent'

Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Banks have been temporarily banned from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of Mobile customers using eKYC (ELectronic Know Your Customer) process and e-KYC of payments bank clients by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The action was taken after the allegations that Bharti Airtel is using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their "informed consent." As Airtel is on the interim ban, it won't be able to e-verify or link mobile SIMs with the Aadhaar ID through the eKYC process of UIDAI. Customers also won't be able open their new account in Airtel Payment Bank. A spokesperson for Airtel said, "We can confirm that we have received an interim order from the UIDAI regarding temporary suspension of Aadhaar linked e-KYC services till their satisfaction on certain processes relating to Airtel payment banks onboarding of customers." "We are engaging with the authority and are hopeful of an early resolution. We are also undertaking to complete the said actions on priority and have commenced thorough checks of our process flows. "Being compliant to all guidelines is paramount to us. In the interim, any inconvenience to our customers is regretted." The UIDAI also took strong objection to the allegations that such payment bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy. The Airtel and Airtel Banks are found be violating a different section of the Aadhaar Act 2016, which mandates explicit consent of the individuals. According to the law, the violations could lead to a fine of one lakh per day and termination of authentication user agreements. Airtel has been opening Airtel Payments Bank Account, without the consent of the user, as they link the SIMs to the Aadhaar card. According to reports, more than 23 Lakh customers have their Airtel Payments Bank Account without any prior awareness. UIDAI observed that as per agreement with the authority, Airtel and Airtel bank are under obligation to ensure security and privacy of a resident's identity information. An audit has also been ordered to examine if the Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank are in compliance with the Aadhaar Act. It will be conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers. According to the sources, when Airtel received the first notice it stated that they have amended the process and the opening of a bank account is delinked from the verification process. Airtel also received a notice after the previous but even then the authority was receiving complaints about the unauthorised opening of Airtel Payments Bank accounts. UIDAI also reviewed the Airtel Mobile app in which they saw that along with the welcome message, a pre-ticked consent box appears for a moment which states, "Upgrade or create my Airtel Payment Bank wallet using existing Airtel mobile KYC" which is found to be a disregard of Aadhaar Act and Regulations. (With inputs from news agency)

Airtel banned from Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification

&nbsp;A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation&rsquo;s recent stake sales in foreign companies.

An affiliate of the Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE) sold about 199.9 million shares in the phone carrier at 481 rupees each via a block trade, it said in a statement.

The sale price was a 6.4 percent discount to Bharti Airtel&rsquo;s Tuesday closing price, but will still give the Qatari investor a significant return over its 68 billion-rupee investment in the Indian company in May 2013.

QFE will reinvest the proceeds from Bharti Airtel stake sale as part of the growth of its global portfolio and diversification, it said in the statement.

Rashed Fahad Al-Noaimi, chief executive of investments at Qatar Foundation will step down from Bharti Airtel&rsquo;s board after the settlement of the sale.

The sale comes at a time when other Qatari firms, including its sovereign wealth fund, are cutting stakes in foreign companies to raise cash and withstand pressure on the economy, which has been hit by sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since early June.

The Gulf countries cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of backing terrorism, a charge which Doha denies.

Qatar&rsquo;s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, has responded to the crisis by pumping billions of dollars into local banks to shore up their deposits.

It has also reduced its stake in upscale jeweller Tiffany &amp; Co, Russian energy giant Rosneft and Swiss bank Credit Suisse.

Bharti Airtel shares closed 3.7 percent down at 495.30 rupees. Still, the stock is up 62 percent in 2017 on signs of an end to a bruising price war in the Indian telecoms space and hopes that industry consolidation would benefit established players.

JPMorgan on Wednesday upgraded the stock to &ldquo;neutral&rdquo; from &ldquo;underweight&rdquo;, saying the fundamentals for large players in were &ldquo;falling in place sooner than expected&rdquo;.

?A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation?s recent stake sales in foreign companies.

A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation’s recent stake sales in foreign companies. An affiliate of the Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE) sold about 199.9 million shares in the phone carrier at 481 rupees each via a block trade, it said in a statement. The sale price was a 6.4 percent discount to Bharti Airtel’s Tuesday closing price, but will still give the Qatari investor a significant return over its 68 billion-rupee investment in the Indian company in May 2013. QFE will reinvest the proceeds from Bharti Airtel stake sale as part of the growth of its global portfolio and diversification, it said in the statement. Rashed Fahad Al-Noaimi, chief executive of investments at Qatar Foundation will step down from Bharti Airtel’s board after the settlement of the sale. The sale comes at a time when other Qatari firms, including its sovereign wealth fund, are cutting stakes in foreign companies to raise cash and withstand pressure on the economy, which has been hit by sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since early June. The Gulf countries cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of backing terrorism, a charge which Doha denies. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, has responded to the crisis by pumping billions of dollars into local banks to shore up their deposits. It has also reduced its stake in upscale jeweller Tiffany & Co, Russian energy giant Rosneft and Swiss bank Credit Suisse. Bharti Airtel shares closed 3.7 percent down at 495.30 rupees. Still, the stock is up 62 percent in 2017 on signs of an end to a bruising price war in the Indian telecoms space and hopes that industry consolidation would benefit established players. JPMorgan on Wednesday upgraded the stock to “neutral” from “underweight”, saying the fundamentals for large players in were “falling in place sooner than expected”.

Qatari investor sells $1.5 billion stake in Bharti Airtel

Tata Teleservices will merge with Bharti Airtel as the Tata group firm looks to tide over its financial woes by exiting the mobile telephony business.

The companies said the deal is on a no-debt, no-cash basis, implying Airtel is not taking over any of the about Rs 40,000 crore debt with Tata Teleservices and is neither paying any cash.

Even 70-80 per cent of the Rs 9,000-10,000 crore deferred payments for spectrum that TTSL holds, will be paid by Tatas.

The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, will see over 40 million customers of Tata Teleservices (TTSL) and Tata Teleservices Maharashtra (TTML) joining Bharti Airtel and mark further consolidation in one of the world&#39;s largest telecom markets.

The merger will be on a debt-free, cash-free basis and all past liabilities and dues to be settled by Tata, the companies said in a statement.

&quot;This is a significant development towards further consolidation in the Indian mobile industry... The acquisition of additional spectrum made an attractive business proposition,&quot; Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said.

The transaction will create substantial long-term value for shareholders given the significant synergies, he said.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said the agreement is the &quot;best and most optimal solution&quot; for the Tata Group and its stakeholders.

&quot;We have evaluated multiple options and are pleased to have this agreement with Bharti,&quot; he added.

In March this year, Airtel&#39;s rivals -- Vodafone India and Idea Cellular had announced merger plans to create India&#39;s largest telecom firm.

As part of the agreement, Bharti Airtel will absorb Tata CMB&#39;s operations in 19 telecom circles (17 under TTSL and 2 under TTML). It will also assume a small portion of the unpaid spectrum liability of Tata towards the Telecom Department, which is to be paid on deferred basis, the statement added.

The merger will bolster Bharti Airtel&#39;s spectrum pool with significant additional 178.5 MHz spectrum in 1800, 2100 and 850 MHz bands, all widely used for 4G.

&quot;The proposed merger will include transfer of all the customers and assets of Tata CMB to Bharti Airtel, further augmenting Bharti Airtel?s overall customer base and network,&quot; the statement said.

Tata and Bharti Airtel will work together to further explore other mutual areas of cooperation, that will be value accretive for both the groups.

&quot;The employees of Tata will be demerged on the lines of the two businesses ie CMB and EFL (Enterprise and Fixed Line and Broadband), and post an optimal manpower planning will be moved accordingly,&quot; it added.

Tata is also in initial stages of exploring combination of its enterprise business with Tata Communications and its Retail Fixed Line and Broadband business with Tata Sky.

Any such transaction will be subject to respective boards and other requisite approvals.&nbsp;Tata will also retain its stake in Viom and will take care of the liabilities associated with it.

The Boards of Bharti Airtel, Tata Sons, TTSL and TTML have approved the transaction.

Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Private Limited is financial adviser to Tata.

The companies said the deal is on a no-debt, no-cash basis, implying Airtel is not taking over any of the about Rs 40,000 crore debt with Tata Teleservices and is neither paying any cash

Tata Teleservices will merge with Bharti Airtel as the Tata group firm looks to tide over its financial woes by exiting the mobile telephony business. The companies said the deal is on a no-debt, no-cash basis, implying Airtel is not taking over any of the about Rs 40,000 crore debt with Tata Teleservices and is neither paying any cash. Even 70-80 per cent of the Rs 9,000-10,000 crore deferred payments for spectrum that TTSL holds, will be paid by Tatas. The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, will see over 40 million customers of Tata Teleservices (TTSL) and Tata Teleservices Maharashtra (TTML) joining Bharti Airtel and mark further consolidation in one of the world's largest telecom markets. The merger will be on a debt-free, cash-free basis and all past liabilities and dues to be settled by Tata, the companies said in a statement. "This is a significant development towards further consolidation in the Indian mobile industry... The acquisition of additional spectrum made an attractive business proposition," Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said. The transaction will create substantial long-term value for shareholders given the significant synergies, he said. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said the agreement is the "best and most optimal solution" for the Tata Group and its stakeholders. "We have evaluated multiple options and are pleased to have this agreement with Bharti," he added. In March this year, Airtel's rivals -- Vodafone India and Idea Cellular had announced merger plans to create India's largest telecom firm. As part of the agreement, Bharti Airtel will absorb Tata CMB's operations in 19 telecom circles (17 under TTSL and 2 under TTML). It will also assume a small portion of the unpaid spectrum liability of Tata towards the Telecom Department, which is to be paid on deferred basis, the statement added. The merger will bolster Bharti Airtel's spectrum pool with significant additional 178.5 MHz spectrum in 1800, 2100 and 850 MHz bands, all widely used for 4G. "The proposed merger will include transfer of all the customers and assets of Tata CMB to Bharti Airtel, further augmenting Bharti Airtel?s overall customer base and network," the statement said. Tata and Bharti Airtel will work together to further explore other mutual areas of cooperation, that will be value accretive for both the groups. "The employees of Tata will be demerged on the lines of the two businesses ie CMB and EFL (Enterprise and Fixed Line and Broadband), and post an optimal manpower planning will be moved accordingly," it added. Tata is also in initial stages of exploring combination of its enterprise business with Tata Communications and its Retail Fixed Line and Broadband business with Tata Sky. Any such transaction will be subject to respective boards and other requisite approvals. Tata will also retain its stake in Viom and will take care of the liabilities associated with it. The Boards of Bharti Airtel, Tata Sons, TTSL and TTML have approved the transaction. Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Private Limited is financial adviser to Tata.

Tatas to merge telecom business with Bharti Airtel

Reliance Jio has filed a complaint with the telecom ministry alleging that incumbents Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea did not deposit requisite licence fee in March, which led to a potential loss of Rs 400 crore to the government.

The Mukesh Ambani-led firm alleged that Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, in utter violation of licence rules &quot;unilaterally, wilfully and intentionally paid the advance license fee for last quarter&quot; of 2016-17 on the basis of estimated adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which was much lower than &quot;the license stipulation to pay the license fee not less than the fee paid for the third quarter&quot;.

According to the complaint, Airtel paid around Rs 950 crore as the licence fee for January-March 2017. The amount, Jio alleges, was Rs 150 crore less than Rs 1,099.5 crore licence fee paid by Airtel for October-December 2017.

As per rules, a telecom operator is required to pay licence fee for January-March period based on expected revenue but it should not be less than the fee paid for the third quarter of the same fiscal.

Similarly, Jio said, Vodafone paid Rs 550 crore which was Rs 200 crore less as compared to Rs 746.8-crore licence fee it paid in the third quarter. Idea paid Rs 60 crore less fee than Rs 609.4 crore paid in the previous quarter, Reliance Jio alleged.

&quot;The said act of the incumbent telecom service providers (TSPs) has caused potential financial loss amounting to over Rs 400 crore to the government exchequer and in any event has caused a revenue shortfall of the said amount in financial year 2016-17,&quot; Jio alleged.

The COAI denied the allegation stating that there will be no loss to the government as AGR will be trued up to actual in the subsequent quarter.

&quot;These allegations are both mischievous and ironic, with no basis in fact, if what we&#39;re hearing from the media is true. COAI is not in receipt of any such communication,&quot; the association&#39;s Director General, Rajan S Mathews, said.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) had requested the Department of Telecom (DoT) to allow its member companies to pay the license fee for the fourth quarter on the basis of the estimated AGR instead of on the basis of&nbsp;estimated AGR for the period and actual license fee paid for the third quarter purportedly due to the financial conditions of the telecom operators.

Jio said the DoT &quot;did not rightfully accede&quot; to COAI&#39;s request but it has learnt that the department is now considering the COAI&#39;s request &quot;which is admittedly a gross violation of license conditions and any relief will tantamount to rewarding a party in breach&quot;.

The company said that cannot allow leniency for COAI and should &quot;not condone the wilful, deliberate and unilateral breach of license conditions as it would affect the level- playing field to be afforded to all licensees&quot;.

Demanding action against incumbent telecom operators in form of penalty up to Rs 50 crore per service area (there are 22 service areas in India), termination of licence as per rules, among others, Reliance Jio said it has paid the advance license fee fully in compliance with the conditions and does not agree with the views expressed by the COAI.

&quot;Any delay in taking action would set a very bad precedent, wherein licensees would unilaterally decide to breach license conditions and just inform the licensor about it,&quot; Jio said.

Mathews said the decline in revenue was never contemplated when setting the licence conditions and hence the request was in response to an unanticipated event not&nbsp;foreseen in the licence.

&quot;We have submitted our factual representation of what the industry is going through and a bare reading of that will adequately clarify that our members have categorically stated, even in their submission to DoT that they will confirm and pay the licence fee on or before April 15, 2017. With this, there is no loss to the government also as the licence fee will be paid on actual revenue,&quot; Mathews added.

(PTI)

Reliance Jio has filed a complaint with the telecom ministry alleging that incumbents Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea did not deposit requisite licence fee in March

Reliance Jio has filed a complaint with the telecom ministry alleging that incumbents Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea did not deposit requisite licence fee in March, which led to a potential loss of Rs 400 crore to the government. The Mukesh Ambani-led firm alleged that Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, in utter violation of licence rules "unilaterally, wilfully and intentionally paid the advance license fee for last quarter" of 2016-17 on the basis of estimated adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which was much lower than "the license stipulation to pay the license fee not less than the fee paid for the third quarter". According to the complaint, Airtel paid around Rs 950 crore as the licence fee for January-March 2017. The amount, Jio alleges, was Rs 150 crore less than Rs 1,099.5 crore licence fee paid by Airtel for October-December 2017. As per rules, a telecom operator is required to pay licence fee for January-March period based on expected revenue but it should not be less than the fee paid for the third quarter of the same fiscal. Similarly, Jio said, Vodafone paid Rs 550 crore which was Rs 200 crore less as compared to Rs 746.8-crore licence fee it paid in the third quarter. Idea paid Rs 60 crore less fee than Rs 609.4 crore paid in the previous quarter, Reliance Jio alleged. "The said act of the incumbent telecom service providers (TSPs) has caused potential financial loss amounting to over Rs 400 crore to the government exchequer and in any event has caused a revenue shortfall of the said amount in financial year 2016-17," Jio alleged. The COAI denied the allegation stating that there will be no loss to the government as AGR will be trued up to actual in the subsequent quarter. "These allegations are both mischievous and ironic, with no basis in fact, if what we're hearing from the media is true. COAI is not in receipt of any such communication," the association's Director General, Rajan S Mathews, said. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) had requested the Department of Telecom (DoT) to allow its member companies to pay the license fee for the fourth quarter on the basis of the estimated AGR instead of on the basis of estimated AGR for the period and actual license fee paid for the third quarter purportedly due to the financial conditions of the telecom operators. Jio said the DoT "did not rightfully accede" to COAI's request but it has learnt that the department is now considering the COAI's request "which is admittedly a gross violation of license conditions and any relief will tantamount to rewarding a party in breach". The company said that cannot allow leniency for COAI and should "not condone the wilful, deliberate and unilateral breach of license conditions as it would affect the level- playing field to be afforded to all licensees". Demanding action against incumbent telecom operators in form of penalty up to Rs 50 crore per service area (there are 22 service areas in India), termination of licence as per rules, among others, Reliance Jio said it has paid the advance license fee fully in compliance with the conditions and does not agree with the views expressed by the COAI. "Any delay in taking action would set a very bad precedent, wherein licensees would unilaterally decide to breach license conditions and just inform the licensor about it," Jio said. Mathews said the decline in revenue was never contemplated when setting the licence conditions and hence the request was in response to an unanticipated event not foreseen in the licence. "We have submitted our factual representation of what the industry is going through and a bare reading of that will adequately clarify that our members have categorically stated, even in their submission to DoT that they will confirm and pay the licence fee on or before April 15, 2017. With this, there is no loss to the government also as the licence fee will be paid on actual revenue," Mathews added. (PTI)

Airtel, Vodafone, Idea cause Rs 400 crore loss to Indian government: Reliance Jio

Facebook has launched it&#39;s Express Wi-Fi program under the internet.org banner in colaboration with Airtel. It plans to launch 20,000 hotspots all around the country to connect millions of Indians to the internet at affordable prices.

&quot;Express Wi-Fi empowers local entrepreneurs to help provide quality internet access to their neighbors and make a steady income. Working with local internet service providers or mobile operators, they&rsquo;re able to use software provided by Facebook to connect their communities.&quot;, says Facebook about the program.

Express Wi-Fi was made available through nearly 700 hotspots across the four Indian states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya, in 2015 and, working with&nbsp;internet services providers (ISPs) and over 500 local entrepreneur retailers tested the platform.&nbsp;

India has a population of about 1.3 billion people, but according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI&rsquo;s) Performance Indicator Report, only 390 million people are connected to the internet. Facebook is keen on taking initiatives to provide affordable access to high speed data to users, particularly in the underserved segment. With regards to Indian sub-continent, this will help in empowering millions by bringing them online. This is also inline with the Government&rsquo;s Digital India vision.

Facebook&nbsp;in 2015, had launched a Free Basics Program which was hugely criticised and withdrawn amidst arguments that it flouted&nbsp;net neutrality. With the new initiative though, they aim to connect people to the internet at&nbsp;very affordable rates. &quot;When people are able to purchase fast, affordable and reliable internet, they&rsquo;re able to explore the range of information it has to offer including news, education, health, job postings, entertainment, and communication tools like Facebook,&quot; said Facebook.

Apart from Airtel,&nbsp;ISPs AirJaldi in Uttarakhand, LMES in Rajasthan, Tikona in Gujarat have partnered with Facebook for this program. Talks are going on with ISP&nbsp;Shaildhar in Meghalaya.

Express Wi-Fi empowers local entrepreneurs to help provide quality internet access

Facebook has launched it's Express Wi-Fi program under the internet.org banner in colaboration with Airtel. It plans to launch 20,000 hotspots all around the country to connect millions of Indians to the internet at affordable prices. "Express Wi-Fi empowers local entrepreneurs to help provide quality internet access to their neighbors and make a steady income. Working with local internet service providers or mobile operators, they’re able to use software provided by Facebook to connect their communities.", says Facebook about the program. Express Wi-Fi was made available through nearly 700 hotspots across the four Indian states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya, in 2015 and, working with internet services providers (ISPs) and over 500 local entrepreneur retailers tested the platform. India has a population of about 1.3 billion people, but according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI’s) Performance Indicator Report, only 390 million people are connected to the internet. Facebook is keen on taking initiatives to provide affordable access to high speed data to users, particularly in the underserved segment. With regards to Indian sub-continent, this will help in empowering millions by bringing them online. This is also inline with the Government’s Digital India vision. Facebook in 2015, had launched a Free Basics Program which was hugely criticised and withdrawn amidst arguments that it flouted net neutrality. With the new initiative though, they aim to connect people to the internet at very affordable rates. "When people are able to purchase fast, affordable and reliable internet, they’re able to explore the range of information it has to offer including news, education, health, job postings, entertainment, and communication tools like Facebook," said Facebook. Apart from Airtel, ISPs AirJaldi in Uttarakhand, LMES in Rajasthan, Tikona in Gujarat have partnered with Facebook for this program. Talks are going on with ISP Shaildhar in Meghalaya.

Facebook partners with Airtel to launch Express Wi-Fi

Bharti Airtel announced the removal of all roaming charges for outgoing and incoming calls as well as SMSs and data usage within India as it takes on competition from new comer Reliance Jio.

India&#39;s largest mobile phone service provider also said international call rates will be cut by up to 90 per cent to as low as Rs 3 per minute and data charges by up to 99 per cent to Rs 3 per MB across popular roaming destinations.

Starting April 1, Airtel customers roaming within India will enjoy free incoming calls and SMSs and there will be no premium on outgoing calls, allowing them to speak freely wherever they are within the country.

Also, there will be no additional data charges on national roaming. Home data packs for customers will apply even while they roam across India.

Also, it said, there will be no bill shocks while roaming overseas. Daily billing will be automatically adjusted to the price of basic one day pack even for customers who don&#39;t buy a roaming pack.

&quot;With this, Airtel mobile customers will be able to carry their numbers across India and the world and stay connected all the time without having to worry about high call/data charges,&quot; a press note from Aitel said. &quot;Bill shocks will now be a thing of the past.&quot;

Gopal Vittal, MD &amp; CEO (India &amp; South Asia), Bharti Airtel said: &quot;This marks the death of national roaming and the whole country will now be like a local network for our customers, who will not have to think twice before making or receiving calls or using data while travelling outside their home base. Airtel has again set the benchmark in delivering best in class value backed by a great network experience.&quot;

For international roaming, Airtel said it has already launched innovative and affordable International Roaming packs for all major countries across the world.

These packs come with convenient validity options of 1 day, 10 days, and 30 days.

Even post the exhaustion of pack benefits, customers will continue to enjoy extremely attractive rates for calling and data usage.

Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal said: &quot;At Airtel, we are changing the international roaming paradigm, which will allow our customers to take their number to every corner of the world. As an industry, operators across the world must collaborate to remove the cost barrier to roaming and offer customers the convenience of staying connected without the fear of exorbitant bill charges.&quot;

(PTI)

Airtel says international call rates will also be cut by up to 90 per cent

Bharti Airtel announced the removal of all roaming charges for outgoing and incoming calls as well as SMSs and data usage within India as it takes on competition from new comer Reliance Jio. India's largest mobile phone service provider also said international call rates will be cut by up to 90 per cent to as low as Rs 3 per minute and data charges by up to 99 per cent to Rs 3 per MB across popular roaming destinations. Starting April 1, Airtel customers roaming within India will enjoy free incoming calls and SMSs and there will be no premium on outgoing calls, allowing them to speak freely wherever they are within the country. Also, there will be no additional data charges on national roaming. Home data packs for customers will apply even while they roam across India. Also, it said, there will be no bill shocks while roaming overseas. Daily billing will be automatically adjusted to the price of basic one day pack even for customers who don't buy a roaming pack. "With this, Airtel mobile customers will be able to carry their numbers across India and the world and stay connected all the time without having to worry about high call/data charges," a press note from Aitel said. "Bill shocks will now be a thing of the past." Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel said: "This marks the death of national roaming and the whole country will now be like a local network for our customers, who will not have to think twice before making or receiving calls or using data while travelling outside their home base. Airtel has again set the benchmark in delivering best in class value backed by a great network experience." For international roaming, Airtel said it has already launched innovative and affordable International Roaming packs for all major countries across the world. These packs come with convenient validity options of 1 day, 10 days, and 30 days. Even post the exhaustion of pack benefits, customers will continue to enjoy extremely attractive rates for calling and data usage. Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal said: "At Airtel, we are changing the international roaming paradigm, which will allow our customers to take their number to every corner of the world. As an industry, operators across the world must collaborate to remove the cost barrier to roaming and offer customers the convenience of staying connected without the fear of exorbitant bill charges." (PTI)

Airtel ends roaming charges on calls and data to take on Reliance Jio

Global telecom giant Vodafone said it is in discussion to merge its India mobile business with Aditya Birla group&#39;s Idea Cellular - a move that would create the largest telecom entity to take on rivals such as Airtel and Reliance Jio.

&quot;Vodafone confirms that it is in discussions with the Aditya Birla group about an all-share merger of Vodafone India (excluding Vodafone&#39;s 42 per cent stake in Indus Towers) and Idea,&quot; Vodafone said in a statement.

Any merger will be effected through issuance of new shares in Idea to Vodafone and would result in de-consolidation of Vodafone India, it added.

A Vodafone-Idea combined entity would have 43 per cent revenue market share as against the 33 per cent of Bharti Airtel currently and 13 per cent for Reliance Jio by 2018-19, a CLSA report had said.

Vodafone did not share the details of the potential deal, saying, &quot;there is no certainty that any transaction will be agreed, nor as to the terms or timing of any transaction&quot;.

While Bharti Airtel is the largest telecom operator in India with 263.35 million mobile subscribers, Vodafone has 202.79 million users and Idea Cellular 187.68 million.

With 32.84 per cent, Bharti Airtel has the maximum market share, but the combined entity of Vodafone India and Idea will command 43 per cent, say analysts.

&quot;Our analysis of a potential merger of Vodafone India with Idea Cellular reveals that such a mega deal would change the industry order,&quot; CLSA had said.

(PTI)

The idea behind this merger is to take on rivals such as Airtel and Reliance Jio

Global telecom giant Vodafone said it is in discussion to merge its India mobile business with Aditya Birla group's Idea Cellular - a move that would create the largest telecom entity to take on rivals such as Airtel and Reliance Jio. "Vodafone confirms that it is in discussions with the Aditya Birla group about an all-share merger of Vodafone India (excluding Vodafone's 42 per cent stake in Indus Towers) and Idea," Vodafone said in a statement. Any merger will be effected through issuance of new shares in Idea to Vodafone and would result in de-consolidation of Vodafone India, it added. A Vodafone-Idea combined entity would have 43 per cent revenue market share as against the 33 per cent of Bharti Airtel currently and 13 per cent for Reliance Jio by 2018-19, a CLSA report had said. Vodafone did not share the details of the potential deal, saying, "there is no certainty that any transaction will be agreed, nor as to the terms or timing of any transaction". While Bharti Airtel is the largest telecom operator in India with 263.35 million mobile subscribers, Vodafone has 202.79 million users and Idea Cellular 187.68 million. With 32.84 per cent, Bharti Airtel has the maximum market share, but the combined entity of Vodafone India and Idea will command 43 per cent, say analysts. "Our analysis of a potential merger of Vodafone India with Idea Cellular reveals that such a mega deal would change the industry order," CLSA had said. (PTI)

Vodafone in merger talks with Idea Cellular in India

The regulator of telecommunication sector in India on Friday recommended Indian ministry of communications and information technology &#39;s department of telecommunications (DoT) to impose a total penalty of Rs 3,050 crore on incumbent players &mdash;Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular &mdash;for denying interconnection facility to newcomer Reliance Jio Infocomm.

While Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have been slapped with a fine of Rs 50 crore for 21 circles each (except in the northernmost Jammu and Kashmir) state, &nbsp;Idea faced the same amount of penalty for 19 circles each, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

In its capacity as the licensor, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in a letter to &nbsp;(DoT), said that the regulator stopped short of cancelling licences, despite the violation of licence conditions by these companies, as it would cause massive inconvenience to the companies, according to Indian media.&nbsp;

&ldquo;However, the authority is mindful of the fact that revocation of the licence will entail significant consumer inconvenience and therefore in view of the larger public interest involved, the authority recommends a penal action of Rs 50 crore per LSA (circle)&hellip;,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;

The recommendation comes in the wake of complaint by Reliance Jio, which launched its services on September 5, where it was alleged that the incumbent players were denying it sufficient number of interconnection ports leading to huge call failures.&nbsp;

Taking note of the complaint, TRAI said that denial of interconnection &#39;appears to be with ulterior motive to stifle competiton and is anti-cosumer&#39;.&nbsp;

The incumbents, however, have claimed they have provided sufficient Point of Interconnections &nbsp;(POIs) to Jio, according to several reports.&nbsp;

Reliance Jio has said its customers are facing 75 per cent call failures on Airtel, Vodafone and Idea cellular networks due to insufficient interconnection facility provided by the incumbent operators, PTI reported. As per the service quality norms, not more than five out of 1000 calls should fail at the point of interconnect. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Reliance Jio had approached TRAI alleging that the players were denying it interconnection ports leading to huge network failures

The regulator of telecommunication sector in India on Friday recommended Indian ministry of communications and information technology 's department of telecommunications (DoT) to impose a total penalty of Rs 3,050 crore on incumbent players —Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular —for denying interconnection facility to newcomer Reliance Jio Infocomm. While Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have been slapped with a fine of Rs 50 crore for 21 circles each (except in the northernmost Jammu and Kashmir) state, Idea faced the same amount of penalty for 19 circles each, Indian news agency PTI reported. In its capacity as the licensor, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in a letter to (DoT), said that the regulator stopped short of cancelling licences, despite the violation of licence conditions by these companies, as it would cause massive inconvenience to the companies, according to Indian media. “However, the authority is mindful of the fact that revocation of the licence will entail significant consumer inconvenience and therefore in view of the larger public interest involved, the authority recommends a penal action of Rs 50 crore per LSA (circle)…,” the statement said. The recommendation comes in the wake of complaint by Reliance Jio, which launched its services on September 5, where it was alleged that the incumbent players were denying it sufficient number of interconnection ports leading to huge call failures. Taking note of the complaint, TRAI said that denial of interconnection 'appears to be with ulterior motive to stifle competiton and is anti-cosumer'. The incumbents, however, have claimed they have provided sufficient Point of Interconnections (POIs) to Jio, according to several reports. Reliance Jio has said its customers are facing 75 per cent call failures on Airtel, Vodafone and Idea cellular networks due to insufficient interconnection facility provided by the incumbent operators, PTI reported. As per the service quality norms, not more than five out of 1000 calls should fail at the point of interconnect. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Reliance Jio connectivity row:  TRAI recommends Rs 3,050 cr fine on Airtel, Vodafone, Idea

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel today said it has completed the sale of its subsidiary in Burkina Faso to Orange. 
 
In January, Bharti Airtel had said it will sell its operations in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone to France-based Orange. 
 
&quot;Orange has completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of the operations of Airtel in Burkina Faso via its subsidiaries. We shall update the exchange regarding the process for Sierra Leone as and when it is completed,&quot; it said in a filing to Bombay Stock Exchange. 
 
Airtel, in July last year, had announced that it is entering an agreement with Orange to sell its four subsidiaries in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone in Africa. 
 
The agreements for the remaining two countries have lapsed. 
 
According to the agreement, Orange will acquire 100 per cent of the companies&#39; share capital. The consolidated revenue of the two companies is around 275 million Euro. 
 
These acquisitions will be implemented in partnership with Orange&#39;s subsidiaries in the Cote d&#39;Ivoire and Senegal. 
 
Airtel had said outlay for Orange for these transactions will be based on the financial of its two subsidiaries for the year ended March 31, 2016, and will represent the equivalent of 7.9 times Airtel&#39;s EBITDA in these two countries at this time. 
 
Through this deal, Orange will reinforce its presence in Africa with two additional countries, adding almost 5.5 million users to its mobile 
customer base. 
 
(PTI)

According to the agreement, Orange will acquire 100 per cent of the company's share capital

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel today said it has completed the sale of its subsidiary in Burkina Faso to Orange. In January, Bharti Airtel had said it will sell its operations in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone to France-based Orange. "Orange has completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of the operations of Airtel in Burkina Faso via its subsidiaries. We shall update the exchange regarding the process for Sierra Leone as and when it is completed," it said in a filing to Bombay Stock Exchange. Airtel, in July last year, had announced that it is entering an agreement with Orange to sell its four subsidiaries in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone in Africa. The agreements for the remaining two countries have lapsed. According to the agreement, Orange will acquire 100 per cent of the companies' share capital. The consolidated revenue of the two companies is around 275 million Euro. These acquisitions will be implemented in partnership with Orange's subsidiaries in the Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal. Airtel had said outlay for Orange for these transactions will be based on the financial of its two subsidiaries for the year ended March 31, 2016, and will represent the equivalent of 7.9 times Airtel's EBITDA in these two countries at this time. Through this deal, Orange will reinforce its presence in Africa with two additional countries, adding almost 5.5 million users to its mobile customer base. (PTI)

Airtel sells Burkina Faso subsidiary to Orange

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