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Mobile bills to go down as Trai cuts call termination charges to 6 p/min

Agencies
September 20, 2017

New Delhi, Sept 20: Indian telecom regulator TRAI on Tuesday came out with a regulation cutting call termination charges from mobile to mobile by over half to 6 paise per minute effective from October 1. The measure drew stiff opposition from a majority of telecom operators who plan to seek legal redressal.

The sector regulator also plans to phase out Interconnection Usage Charges (IUC) by January 1, 2020.

"For mobile to mobile, termination charge has been reduced from 14 paise per minute to 6 paise per minute with effect from October 1, 2017," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement.

"Such a revision in the mobile termination charge is in line with the international trends."

Domestic termination charges are the charges payable by a telecom service provider (TSP) whose subscriber originates the call, to the TSP in whose network the call terminates.

TRAI further added: "From January 1, 2020 onwards the termination charge for all types of domestic calls shall be zero."

The TRAI paper said: "The elimination of IUC will result in direct benefit to customers through lower tariffs."

It said for other types of calls (such as wire-line to mobile, wire-line to wire-line and wire-line to mobile), the termination charge would continue to remain zero.

The TRAI said: "Further, the cost of termination of calls will drastically come down over a period of two years and very small residual value, if any, can be absorbed by the TSPs in their tariff offerings. As a result, the Authority prescribes a Bill and Keep regime for the wireless to wireless calls effective from the January 1, 2020."

The prevailing Interconnection Usage Charges (IUC) Regulation was notified on February 23, 2015 and came into effect from March 1, 2015.

This regulation of TRAI will give a big jolt to the incumbent TSPs like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular who said a lesser IUC regime will be detrimental for the industry. However, new entrant in the industry Reliance Jio has always demanded zero termination charges.

Reacting to TRAI decision, Cellular Operators' Association of India's Director General Rajan S. Mathews told IANS: "Clearly this is a disastrous tariff order. We have indicated earlier that the regulator has to be transparent about how it is arriving at a number. This massive reduction is disastrous for the financial health of the sector. Majority of our members will look for legal redressal."

He added that customers will not be benefitted from this.

Earlier Vodafone Group CEO Vittorio Colao had urged the Indian government not to reduce mobile termination charges further.

In a letter dated August 22, Colao said: "On mobile termination charges, we are seriously alarmed to see reports that the Regulator is considering a reduction in MTC at a time when the industry is facing such immense hardships. Any reduction in MTC risks large scale site shut-down of already unprofitable sites in rural India and which would greatly diminish the population coverage of mobile telephony."

Interconnection allows subscribers, services and networks of one service provider to be accessed by subscribers, services and networks of the other service providers. If networks are efficiently interconnected, subscribers of one network are able to seamlessly communicate with those of another network or access the services offered by other networks.

The TRAI said it would keep a close watch on the developments in the sector particularly with respect to the adoption of new technologies and their impact on termination costs.

"The Authority, if it deems it necessary, may revisit the aforementioned scheme for termination charge applicable on wireless to wires calls after one year from the date of implementation of the regulation"," it added.

According to industry sources, if the IUC is slashed by 6 paise per minute, on an annualized basis Reliance Jio will make a savings of Rs 5,000 crore. Airtel will make a loss of Rs 2,000 crore, Vodafone Rs 1,500 crore, Idea Rs 1,200 crore, while Reliance Communications and Aircel will benefit by Rs 250 crore.

If the IUC is completely done away with then Reliance Jio will make additional savings of over Rs 4,000 crore. Airtel will make a loss of Rs 1,500 crore, Vodafone and Idea (merged entity) will make loss of around Rs 2,200 crore. However, Reliance Communications and Aircel (merged entity) will benefit by Rs 350 crore.

Comments

Sandesh
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

Now almost everything free. Still decreasing...! Is there any option to increase duration of days, like extending from 24 to 36 or 48 for single day...! cant complete calls

Danish
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

All mobile providers making us to spend more and more on recharge. As per my personal opinion, i used to recharge with 10-50. maximum 100. Now 10 card or flexi they wont do and all offers and validity date extending recharge increased much more higher. We cant avoid that and we will send that, they know

Kumar
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

Jio made visible effect on internet charges. Now almost free. Still all mobile providers getting good profits.

 

Cant imagine that how much they earned/looted before jio launch

Ganesh
 - 
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2017

In the name of GST, even mobile providers also looting much. If we are recharge for 50, we will get only after deducting 10-11 rupees. And call charges also high. Because of Jio internet charges came down

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News Network
February 9,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 9: The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Services Department has kept 138 persons across the state under observation in the wake of novel coronavirus (nCov) scare, a health official said on Saturday.

"We are observing 138 people across the state, including in Bengaluru," the department's Communicable Diseases Wing Joint Director Prakash Kumar told news agency.

Though no coronavirus-positive case has been reported from Karnataka so far, four persons have been admitted in a state hospital under medical observation, Kumar confirmed.

Of the 104 samples sent for testing from the state, 85 have, so far, been declared negative. As many as 130 persons in the state were kept under home-isolation observation.

Four Karnataka districts bordering Kerala — Kodagu, Mangluru, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru — continue to be under surveillance after three positive coronavirus cases were reported in Kerala.

On Saturday, it was reported that three persons from Udupi were isolated at the Ajjarkad Government Hospital. Two of them had travelled to China while the other had returned to Udupi from Japan.

From January 20 till Saturday, 14,153 passengers underwent thermal screening at the Kempegowda International Airport, including three who had a history of visiting China’s Wuhan, the epicenter of the nCoV outbreak.

The '104 Arogya Sahayavani' call centre, which people can call for guidance on coronavirus, has clocked 1,792 calls so far.

"In case people with recent travel history to China and other affected countries develop any symptoms, they are requested to call 104 or health authorities and provide all necessary details in order to take necessary measures and are requested to be quarantined at home," reiterated the department.

Three confirmed cases of coronavirus were earlier reported in Kerala and over 722 deaths were confirmed around the world, mostly in mainland China.

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News Network
August 2,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 2: Within a year of returning to power for the fourth time as Chief Minister in Karnataka, septuagenarian B.S. Yediyurappa has consolidated his position in the ruling BJP to stay the course till the next Assembly elections in mid-2023.

"A combination of factors helped Yediyurappa to consolidate and stay the course for the remaining term of his office to ensure the saffron party retains power in the state though he is unlikely to stake claim for the chief minister's post again as he would be 80 years old by 2023," a party source told news agency here.

Since the 77-year-old seasoned politician assumed office on July 26, 2019, the first year has been tumultuous for him, as he had go through a "trial by fire" what with the party's mighty high command and detractors testing his patience in the face of natural calamities like drought, floods and the Covid pandemic.

The first 7-8 months of the term were spent in tackling drought and floods, winning 12 of the 15 by-elections in December to secure a majority for the ruling party in the lower house and expanding the cabinet in February.

Even as Yediyurappa was settling down to seriously govern after presenting the state budget for fiscal 2020-21 in early March, the coronavirus outbreak overwhelmed him, as the pandemic spread and wreaked havoc, disrupting life, livelihood, economic growth and development.

"While the emphatic victory in the by-elections ensured the government's stability till the assembly term up to mid-2023, the second cabinet expansion on February 6 posed a challenge to Yediyurappa, as he could induct only 10 of the 12 MLAs who defected from the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and won the by-elections, triggering a revolt in the party by the loyalists left out of the ministry," the source recalled.

Though Yeddiyurappa has been leading the battle against the virus from day 1 and initially succeeded in controlling it from spreading during the extended lockdown till May 31, reopening the state under Unlock since June has undone the gains, as positive cases shot up to 1,29,287 so far, including 73,219 in Bengaluru after 53,648 recovered from across the state till date, while 2,412 succumbed to the deadly disease since March 9.

"For a state of 7 crore population, the data reveals that the pandemic has been fought on war-footing to contain it from spreading in all the 30 districts, although there are no signs of it going away till a vaccine is found. The chief minister has been trying to balance unlocking the state and containing the infection," a member of the health task force told IANS.

With six cabinet posts in the 34-member ministry being vacant, filling them will be a daunting task for Yediyurappa, as at least 20 legislators, including 5-6 newly elected turncoats and party's veterans are lobbying to become ministers at any cost.

By appointing 20 party legislators as heads of state-run board and corporations, nominating 5 as members of the state legislative council, including JD-S defector A.H. Vishwanath in July and getting 2 Congress defectors R. Shankar and M.T.B. Nagaraj elected as MLCs in June with 2 others, Yediyurappa ensured that these lawmakers would not be in the reckoning for the 6 cabinet posts, as dozen MLAs are already pitching for them.

Nagaraj and Vishwanath lost in the December 5 by-elections, while Shankar was not given a ticket to contest in the by-poll but was assured of making him an MLC with another disgruntled member C.P. Yogeshwar, who lost in the 2018 May assembly polls to JD-S leader and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the 14-month-old JD-S and Congress coalition government from May 23, 2018 to July 23, 2019.

Resignations of 17 rebels, including 14 from the Congress and 3 from the JD-S led to the fall of the coalition government, as Kumaraswamy lost the majority in the 225-member assembly on July 23, 2019 in their absence.

Though Yediyurappa led the party to win 105 seats in the 2018 assembly elections and formed a government on May 17, 2018, he resigned 3 days later on May 19, 2018, as he fell 8-9 seats short of the halfway mark (113) for a simple majority in the lower house.

In a post-poll alliance, the JD-S and the Congress formed the coalition government to keep the BJP out of power in May 2018, after the assembly elections gave split verdict and the Congress lost power then.

"The record victory of the ruling party in the May 2019 general elections, when 25 of its 27 contestants won out of 28 Lok Sabha seats from the state, reinforced the popular belief that Yediyurappa is the party's mascot in winning elections and an unquestionable leader of the politically dominant Lingayats in the state," the source pointed out.

When Yediyurappa left the BJP and floated a regional outfit (Karnataka Janata Party) in January 2013, he delivered a body blow to the BJP in the May 2013 state assembly polls, as the votes got split and was defeated by then Congress.

"Besides the party's high command, everyone in the party's state unit, including leaders and cadres are aware of Yediyurappa's popularity across the state, as has the wherewithal to connect with masses and win elections," the source added.

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News Network
April 9,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 9: A special task force--set up by the government of Karnataka--submitted a report to the Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa, putting forward recommendations suggesting minimisation of restrictions in districts where there is nil or minimum cases, here on Wednesday.

The committee said: "COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients should be segregated and online health services should be encouraged. Restrictions should be minimised in districts where there is nil or minimum cases of COVID-19 and lockdown should be continued in hotspot areas with quarantine measures strictly being implemented."

With regards to the testing of likely patient, the committee informed that rapid test kits would help to quarantine more likely patient. "The rapid test kits will arrive in April 12. These kits will boost our facility and would help us in quarantining the more people."

On the subject of lifting transportation ban, the committee suggested that the transport of goods and services must continue but with regards to passenger carriers, they are suspended till April 30.

"Goods and Transportation should be allowed, but passenger carriers should be banned until further orders. No buses, trains nor flights will be plying till April 30. No metro trains and auto-rickshaws should be allowed and an odd-even system transport system should be implemented," the committee added.

The committee also suggested that all industries, IT, BT and Garments should be made to work on 50 per cent strength. Garments workers should be allowed to stitch PPEs, which are in more demand. And for construction workers, the committee suggested that they should be allowed to work at sites at 50 per cent strength.

They suggested that educational institutions remain closed till May 30 and online classes must be encouraged.

Dr. Devi Shetty heads the Taskforce and Dr. C. N. Majunath, Dr. Nagaraj, Dr. Ravi and Sudharshan were also the part of the committee.

According to the Ministry of health and family welfare, 181 cases have been reported in the state so far. A total of 5,734 positive cases have been reported of which, 166 are dead and 473 are cured/discharged and migrated.

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