In a relief to old operators, telecom tribunal TDSAT today put an interim stay on reporting requirement of 'segmented offers' and the new definition for ascertaining 'significant market power' for predatory pricing by Trai.

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) in its interim order today, however, placed a qualifier on the reporting requirements, saying the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be entitled to ask for details of segmented discounts or concessions "for analysis" but that "no penalty shall be imposed on that basis" till further orders are given in the ongoing appeals by Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular.

Idea Cellular hit a 52-week low of Rs 70, down 2% on the BSE, on concerns of delay in merger between the company and Vodafone India.

The stock of telecom services provider trading at its lowest level since January 20, 2017, has fallen 35% thus far in the current calendar year 2018. On comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 1% during the period.

Mumbai: The Aditya Birla Group is in talks with buyout firms to sell stakes in promoter entities that control Idea Cellular Ltd to raise more than $1 billion, part of which will be used to pay down regulatory dues of the telecom operator ahead of a merger with Vodafone India Ltd, two people directly aware of the development said.

The combined entity of Vodafone-Idea merger may lead to a massive layoffs. According to an Economic Times report, the ongoing merger process of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular could see about a fourth of the telcos’ combined 21,000-strong workforce lose jobs in the next few months as the companies look to save on costs, eliminate duplication and improve efficiency.

Telecom infrastructure firm American Tower Corporation (ATC) today announced that it has completed mobile tower purchase deal worth Rs 3,800 crore with Vodafone India through its Indian arm. ATC Telecom Infrastructure, a majority owned Indian subsidiary of ATC, has completed the transaction. This is a previously announced acquisition of Vodafone India’s telecom site business, which consists of approximately 10,200 communications sites, for a total cash consideration of about Rs 38 billion, ATC said in a statement.

Vodafone India and Idea Cellular are likely to take legal action against Aircel in the next few days to recover their dues, according to people aware of the matter, which will make the duo the first major telecom operators to take such a step against the debt-laden carrier.

Aircel, owned by Malaysia’s Maxis, owes about Rs 60 crore to Idea Cellular including interconnect usage charges (IUC), and a similar estimated amount to Vodafone India, said one of the persons, who did not wish to be identified.

With a debt of Rs 1,200 billion, Vodafone and Idea will have to work harder together to turn profitable as the consolidating mobile telephony market in the country changes rapidly.

When the merger is completed, Vodafone-Idea would have the largest subscriber base, about 400 million. But it will also be the most indebted telecom company.

Vodafone and Aditya Birla Group’s Idea Cellular, which are in the final stages of completing the merger of their operations in the country, on Thursday announced the new leadership team of the merged entity. As indicated earlier, Kumar Mangalam Birla, the chairman of the AV Birla Group, will be the non-executive chairman of the merged entity.

The government’s decision to extend the deferred spectrum liability payment period to 16 years from the current 10 will benefit the merged company of Idea Cellular and Vodafone India the most, with the installment amount declining by around 30% annually. However, since the net current value would remain intact, the benefit is only in terms of cash flow as the amount due in initial years would be less, but increase towards the later years.

NEW DELHI:Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular have challenged the telecom regulator’s recent tariff order on predatory pricing in the telecom tribunal, setting the stage for another legal battle between India's older carriers and the sectoral watchdog who have been at loggerheads for more than a year now.

India's first and third ranked telcos have argued that the February 16 order was unconstitutional as it prevented them from retaining customers and conducting business, people familiar with the matter told ET.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.