The Big Picture - Telecom Sector: Challenges & Way Forward

In a setback to telecom service providers, the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Centre's plea to recover adjusted gross revenue of about Rs 92,000 crore from them. A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, upheld the definition of adjusted gross revenue formulated by the Department of Telecom. In July, the Centre had told the apex court that leading private telecom firms like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and state-owned MTNL and BSNL have pending licence fee outstanding of over Rs 92,000 crore till date. Industry body COAI has expressed deep disappointment over the SC ruling and termed it the last straw in contributing to the sector's financial distress. It added that it remains to be seen whether the industry -- which is reeling under a daunting debt of about Rs 4 lakh crore and is in dire financial straits -- will be able to recover from this setback. The bench made it clear that there would no further litigation on the issue and it would fix a time frame for calculation and payment of dues by the telecom companies. O this edition of the big picture we will analyse the problems of the telecom sector.

Guest Name:-

Ganapathy Subramaniam, Chief of Bureau, Puthiya Thalaimurai

Manu Seth, Director, Cellular Mobile Association of India

Sandeep Aggarwal, Chairman, Telecom Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Anchor: Frank Rausan Pereira

Producer: Sagheer Ahmad

[b.pavankumar]

frank sir, really u will be the best anchor of the program THE BIG PICTURE THANK U SIR

[bhawani]

I am very happy with the frequent questions asked by Frank Sir to the guest...I always welcome u Frank Sir as the best anchor of the program -THE BIG PICTURE...

[mallianumula]

I like these talks, more informative ..no fights, no negative ideas, all based on realities👍

[raymundvincentreyes]

Namaskar Sir Frank Pereira ji... :)
Thank you RSTV..

[sharvikaraut]

Very enlightening debate. Such a pleasure!

[indiafirst.]

3C is required, communication, Connection, Convergence.

[SaikatSlg]

Ganapathy Subramaniam pulled the trigger at 12:00

[amangupta]

4 :- creating more slabs say as if case of extra data extra payment = more revenue as we see in the us and Europe in the telecom sector ....and try to do value addition

[snehasisdas]

As an Indian I feel prisoner today..needs 200 times vacancy of job but there telcos employees are now in danger

[santoshsharma]

First of all i will recall that when these telecom company charges 248Rs for 1 GB data then no one can call the telecom company is under threat or else and when JIO com into the picture then all were in danger???

[milindchatse]

ya telecom sector has been under debt, however because of the free data, many startups came online, many youtubers succeed, a knowledge century came,

[Deepakkumar-soim]

Why the companies should take these measures now such as value addition, slab syatem etc. They have been harassing the customers from past two decades, haven't they earned enough money to pay their dues from those times. JIO is the saviour of masses and until the time jio continue to give such rates to consumers we shouldn't look anywhere else 😤😤

[avinashkumar]

i hardly use 200-300 mb per day out of 1.5 gb jio data expert is saying right company should charge according to use of customers not giving free data unncessary

[nsrgroupstudies]

Indian govt should give free data for education prepus as we are trying to reach global competition...we the Indians In back word in technology..

[georgekuttyjacob]

The microphones are giving a bad noise. Can you please improve it next time?

[ravitheexplorer]

After increasing data charges people will definitely reduce to use internet services also it will also impacts on digital transection, wrong decision taken by the telecom industry rather they can increase numbers of customer with attractive offers.

[abhijatprogman]

All opionated..only giving selected facts..why no one is talking about our teledensity and big market...so revenue per 'cell'(an imaginary area covered by network of antennas) is much higher than u.s or europe, so we can actually afford low tariff as our density is high so that same capital like single antenna can service more number of users thus decreasing the capex cost for telecomms. If you dont know the facts you will feel that telecomm sector is in distress and blame it on everyone but themselves. Lobbying at it's best. RSTV is surely getting lot of lobbying money.

[periodictech]

When govt fixes low prices, they want free market. When govt gives a free hand, they cry monopoly and want govt to intervene. Someone pls explain hoe jio is thriving but others are dying?

[aks]

The members are only representing capitalist class there is no one who put the picture in customers perspective debate should also focus on 'Access to Internet' on increasing the data and calling prices will increase many other service prices and will led to low income people's access constraints, and students will suffer the most.

[santoshsharma]

All these effect came after JIO before this all tel cos were good😁😁😁