Regulation

The prolific Latin American operator America Movil’s shares hit their lowest point for a year last week, apparently in reaction to comments from Mexico’s regulators suggesting that legislation aimed at increasing the operator’s competition could be implemented this month...

India’s Department of Telecoms could introduce new legislation relaxing the pricing structures for the country’s operators, according to Telecoms Minister Kapil Sibal...

One of India’s state-owned operators has sought professional advice in establishing a new business strategy for its broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum...

Although LTE licences were awarded to seven Vietnamese operators in Q3 2010, five of these operators have thus far made no attempt to launch 4G services...

India’s Department of Telecoms has finalised its National Wireless Broadband licences as part of a drive to rollout mobile broadband in the country’s rural regions...

India’s telecom authorities have reportedly been instructed to ban operators from offering Nokia’s push email services until a system for monitoring its data has been established...

Mexico’s Federal Competition Commission (CFC) has issued a US$1 billion fine to the Mexican branch of America Movil for “monopolistic practices”...

The telecoms regulator of the UAE has gone ahead with the decision to prohibit certain corporate email services offered by Research In Motion, creator of the BlackBerry...

India’s telecoms regulatory system has come under fire following the 2G licensing scandal that shocked the sector. Many observers have dismissed the framework as antiquated, but this looks set to change, with Telecoms Minister Kapil Sibal revealing several new policies which he aims to enshrine in the country’s new regulatory bill...

Despite the fact that no licences have been issued, two Lebanese operators – MTC and Alfa – have taken steps towards launching 3G services, in a move which has prompted several operators to pursue legal action against them...

The final draft of South Africa’s spectrum allocation process reportedly features a previously mooted clause relating to those who have come to be termed ‘historically disadvantaged individuals’, or HDIs...

With three potential candidates dropping out of the running in the last few days, the bidding race for Syria’s third mobile licence has come down to two competitors – Saudi Arabian STC and Qatar’s Qtel...

The past weekend marked the first formal charges brought against Indian firms involved in the country’s 2G licensing scandal, with shares of Unitech Wireless and Reliance Communications falling as a result...

India could soon see the number of operators in its market drop significantly, with recent reports suggesting that the country’s Department of Telecoms may relax merger and acquisition rules “so significantly that it will leave only around six operators in any service areas”...

Two Indian operators have received notices of cancellation from the country’s Department of Telecommunications regarding the licences which they hold in certain regions, following their failure to comply with the requisite 2G network deployment criteria...

Iraq’s government is aiming to raise around US$2 billion by auctioning off the country’s fourth national mobile licence by the end of 2011...

The gravity of India’s 2G licensing investigation is becoming increasingly apparent, with another high-profile industry member resigning after being implicated in the scandal...

Thailand could see 3G auctions by the end of 2011, according to statements from Natee Sokonrat, the commissioner of the country’s new regulator...

Following on from the arrest of former telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja, the investigation into India’s 2G licensing scandal by the country’s Central Bureau of Investigation has resulted in several other arrests...

Major developments in the Indian 2G licensing scandal are underway, with the country’s Central Bureau of Investigation naming two of the operators that benefitted from underpriced spectrum permits...

India’s telecommunications authorities could still enforce a ban on RIM’s BlackBerry device, as RIM has missed the most recent deadline for granting the government monitoring access to its enterprise services...

Several private-owned operators in Thailand have received a large bill from none other than TOT, the country’s state-owned operator...

India’s telecommunications minister Kapil Sibal has outlined plans to disassociate spectrum from specific licences, instead letting mobile operators purchase spectrum via a “market-driven mechanism” – with auctions being a possibility...

The chairman of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has announced that the regulator is soon to publish proposed guidelines for the pricing of 2G mobile spectrum...

Thailand’s state-owned operator TOT is inviting bidders for a contract to build its 3G network infrastructure, and the auctions have thus far attracted four consortia of vendors...

Costa Rica’s state-owned operator is set to face competition for the first time, as the Latin American country has awarded mobile operating licences to Telefonica and America Movil. The two firms won licences with bids of US$95 million and $75 million respectively...

A new acquisition could see the early deployment of 3G services by Thailand’s third-largest operator. True Corp, which owns the operator True Move, has confirmed that it will purchase the entirety of Hutchison Telecommunications International’s local CDMA business, complete with associated firms...

Russia’s largest operator Mobile TeleSystems has filed a case against Turkmenistan’s regulatory authorities, following the latter’s decision to suspend the licence of Barash Communications Technologies – a subsidiary of MTS – for one month...

The Indian regulator TRAI has announced that it will publish a consultation paper that focuses on the country’s VAS market which it hopes will “see how to bring VAS into the active mainstream”...

The GSMA has elected Franco Bernabè, Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Italia, as its new Chairman for a two-year term, from January 2011 through December 2012...

 India’s 2G spectrum licensing scandal has provoked many observers into giving their opinions on the country’s telecoms sector, and now the chairman of Tata Group, Ratan Tata, has commented on the events...

India’s government has begun investigations into the 2008 issue of 2G licences, a process which has been under scrutiny since the scandal which resulted in the resignation of telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja...

India’s Department of Telecommunications is preparing to dispute the eligibility of 85 licensees who reportedly did not meet the requisite criteria when their licences were issued in 2008...