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First Post
a day ago
- Business
- First Post
Why India will be the data capital of the world in five years
Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the telecom subscriber base in India has expanded from 800 million a decade ago to 1.2 billion this year, a level where India is now the second largest mobile market read more Indian telecom minister has projected that the country is poised to become the data capital of the world within next five years. Source: PTI Indian telecom minister has projected that the country is poised to become the data capital of the world within next five years. While speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025 on Thursday (May 29), Jyotiraditya Scindia said that India is leading a digital-first economy, with the telecom revolution being the driving force. 'India, I believe, in the next five years, will become the data capital of the world,' Scindia said. The minister informed that the telecom subscriber base in India has expanded from 800 million a decade ago to 1.2 billion this year, a level where India is now the second largest mobile market. He added that the broadband base in the country has also grown to 940 million. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The minister highlighted how connectivity costs have fallen drastically over the past decade, recalling days when tariffs were as high as Rs 16 per minute. 'When we talk about data, 11 years ago, 1 GB of data would cost you Rs 287. Today, 1 GB of data costs you Rs 9. There is a 97 per cent reduction in the cost of communication,' Scindia was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The minister concluded by stating that India's cost of data communication is currently just 5 per cent of the global average. Sanchar Mitra Scheme Meanwhile, the government has also launched the Sanchar Mitra Scheme, which aims to improve the connection between the telecom industry and everyday citizens. When asked about whether satellite communication service would be available in India, Scindia said it was up to telecom companies to decide how to go about it after they get necessary permission from the government. He emphasised that the government's role is to issue these licenses as long as the companies meet specific requirements. Currently, two companies have already qualified, and a third is close to qualifying. Scindia reaffirmed the government's commitment to granting licenses to companies that comply with the rules. He also mentioned that once companies receive the necessary spectrum to operate their services, they must chart their own course based on the regulations set by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Crooks impersonating telecom regulatory officials & Mumbai cops dupe retired Kolhapur university professor of Rs 3.6 crore
Kolhapur: A 75-year-old retired professor fell victim to cybercriminals who coerced her into transferring Rs 3.6 crore through 14 transactions between April 21 and May 16, 2025. This is the largest cyber fraud case recorded in Kolhapur city. The fraudsters, impersonating Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mumbai police officers, contacted the elderly woman about an alleged case registered at the Colaba police station. They claimed Rs 6 crore from an aviation firm owner's fraudulent activities had been deposited, using her Aadhaar card, in her account at a nationalised bank in Mahim. The perpetrators warned of legal consequences and arrest unless the retired professor complied with their verification process and sought her banking information. Through WhatsApp video calls, they pressured her to transfer funds to various private bank accounts. The elderly academic exhausted funds from three personal accounts, three joint accounts with her husband, and four accounts belonging to her husband. The transfer amounts ranged from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 60 lakh, according to police reports. The academic had retired from the Shivaji University-Kolhapur in 2013, and her husband retired in 2005. The couple have a daughter, who is a doctor and resides in Tarabai Park. The elderly woman later told her daughter and son-in-law about what had happened, and they subsequently reported the matter to authorities. A complaint was lodged at Rajarampuri police station on Tuesday evening. Speaking to TOI, inspector Sushant Chavan, the investigating officer, said, "The woman really believed that she was going to be arrested as she was told by the caller that they would arrest her and make the news of it public. She was also told not to tell anyone about the case against her, which was totally made up. We asked her if she had never heard the caller tune messages on not getting scammed by people claiming to be from CBI or the customs office. She told us she was aware of the message, but somehow forgot it." Chavan said three officers, including himself, have initiated the investigation. "We have asked the banks concerned to stop the transactions from the accounts where the money has been transferred by the victim. We are going to find the connections between the calls made, as they were made from nine different numbers. We are going to trace Internet Protocol addresses for all the calls made using the internet," said Chavan. The victim's statement indicated that video calls featuring Supreme Court bench proceedings and individuals seated before a Mumbai Police board convinced her of their authenticity.
India.com
2 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Mukesh Ambani beats Sunil Mittal as Jio races ahead of Airtel in..., it crosses...
Bad news for customers of Jio, Airtel and Vodafone as Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal plan to... Good news for Mukesh Ambani as Reliance Jio led the charts with the highest number of new subscribers. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced the subscriber figures for April. As per the list, the state-run BSNL experienced a decrease in its mobile subscriber numbers. In April, Reliance Jio, led by Mukesh Ambani, continued its strong subscriber momentum in April 2025, adding 2.6 million new subscribers and a robust 5.5 million active users, according to the latest telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The telecom giant further cemented its dominance in the 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) segment, holding an 81.9 per cent market share. The telecom industry overall added 1.9 million subscribers in April, maintaining positive momentum following SIM consolidation in the wake of the July 2024 tariff hike. Between July and November 2024, the sector had lost 21.9 million subscribers due to consolidation, particularly in the lower Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) segment. Jio's subscriber additions improved from 2.2 million in March and 1.8 million in February to 2.6 million in April. The operator's active subscriber base also surged by 5.5 million, a sharp uptick from 5.0 million in March and only marginal gains in the two months before that. Consequently, Jio's Visitor Location Register (VLR) ratio–a key indicator of active users–rose to 96.6% in April, up from 96.0 per cent in Airtel's subscriber growth slowed as per the data shows. The company added just 0.2 million new users in April, compared to 1.3 million in March. The company saw 4.1 million decline in its active subscriber base, a reversal from gains in the previous three months. However, Bharti retained the highest VLR ratio at 98.9 per cent. The third major player in the space, Vodafone Idea (VIL) continued to struggle, losing 0.6 million subscribers in April, along with a 1.1 million drop in active users. The telecom also saw a significant decline of 0.8 million in mobile broadband subscribers. Its VLR ratio stood at 85.1 per cent. BSNL lost 0.2 million overall subscribers and 1.8 million active subscribers in April, with the lowest VLR ratio at 61.4 per cent. Jio added 0.57 million new 5G FWA subscribers in April, up from 0.33 million in March, driven by aggressive expansion of its JioAirFiber service, now available in over 5,900 towns and cities across India. The company maintained a commanding 81.9% share in the 5G FWA market. Bharti Airtel added 0.16 million subscribers in the same segment, maintaining its 18.1 per cent share. In the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) segment, Bharti continued to lead with a 53.3 per cent market share, followed by Vodafone Idea at 23.6 per cent. Jio's market share remained largely steady at 18.2 per cent in April, compared to 18.3 per cent in March. TRAI noted that Mobile Broadband (MBB) and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) subscriber data for Jio and Bharti from December 2024 onward remains unavailable, and April figures are based on the last reported data from November 2024.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
After backhaul, DoT seeks TRAI's views on pricing for 800/900/1800 MHz, other spectrum bands
The government has approached telecom regulator TRAI for recommendations on reserve price and other modalities for the auction of at least nine mainstream spectrum bands, including 800 MHz, 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, that are primarily used for transmitting mobile phone voice and data signals. Sources told PTI that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been asked for its views on 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands, as well. DoT has also urged the telecom regulator to offer fresh recommendations for auction of spectrum in 600 MHz bands. In the last auction in 2024, this particular band - 600 MHz (612-652/663-703) had not been put on the block as it did not find any takers in the 2022 auctions. "In the ITU Radio regulations also, this band has not been identified at the regional or global level for international mobile telecommunication. It was also decided that fresh consultation with TRAI may be taken before putting up this band for view of the above, there is a need to re-examine and seek fresh recommendations for the auction of spectrum in the 600 MHz band," DoT has said in its reference to TRAI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning For Working Professionals. BITS Pilani WILP Apply Now Undo TRAI has also been asked to look at the possibility of auction for newly identified 6,425-6,725 MHz and 7,025-7,125 MHz bands for recommendations on auction timing, band plan, reserve price, and terms and conditions. This latest reference by DoT seeks TRAI's recommendations on reserve price, band plan, block size, quantum of spectrum to be auctioned and associated conditions for auction of spectrum in the existing bands -- 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz, 26 GHz bands, sources said. Live Events In the last auction held in 2024, Sunil Bharti Mittal's Airtel had emerged as the biggest bidder for radio waves, cornering about 60 per cent of the Rs 11,341 crore worth of spectrum sold after two days of bidding in June last year. While Bharti Airtel bid and won airwaves worth Rs 6,856.76 crore, rival Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio - the market leader - had got Rs 973.62 crore worth of spectrum - the least in the three-corner contest. Troubled Vodafone Idea had bagged spectrum valued Rs 3,510.4 crore. In all, 141.4 MHz of radio waves were sold for Rs 11,340.78 crore in the 2024 auction. The government had offered a total of 10 GHz of spectrum ranging between 800 MHz and 26 GHz, which was worth Rs 96,238 crore at the base or auction start price; However, only a small amount of the spectrum on offer got sold in seven rounds of auction held last year. On Wednesday, TRAI began the consultation process on another important piece of connectivity - the backhaul spectrum. TRAI floated a consultation paper for assignment of spectrum in six bands traditionally used for microwave backhaul (between mobile towers), as well as E and V bands, as the regulator sought stakeholder views on aspects like demand, terms and conditions, and charges. Wednesday's discussion paper -- separate from the latest reference on mainstream mobile access bands -- pertained to the assignment of the microwave spectrum in lower 6 GHz, 7 GHz, 13 GHz, 15 GHz, 18 GHz, 21 GHz Bands, E-Band, and V-Band.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
75-year-old retired professor duped of Rs 3.57 crore in Kolhapur
Representative Image KOLHAPUR: A 75-year-old retired professor from Shivaji University Kolhapur was forced by cybercrooks to make money transfers totaling Rs3.57 crore in 14 transactions between April 21 and May 16 in the biggest cyber fraud so far to hit Kolhapur city. The victim retired from service in 2013 while her husband retired in 2005. Their daughter, a physiotherapist, stays in her marital home at Tarabai Park. The crooks posed a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mumbai police officials while calling and informing her that the Colaba police have registered a case in which Rs 6 crore of proceeds from a money laundering and investment fraud by a prominent aviation firm owner, have been deposited to an account in her name and using her Aadhaar card at a nationalized bank in Mahim. The callers threatened that she will face action and arrest if she did not cooperate with their verification process and sought all her bank details. Through video calls made from various WhatsApp numbers, the crooks pressurized her into making the money transfers to various accounts _ mostly private banks. The elderly woman used up all the money in three bank accounts held by her, another three accounts held jointly with her husband and four accounts held by her husband, to make the 14 transfers of amounts varying from Rs 60 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, police said.
