31-10-2012: 30% court cases update: case is extended to 11 th DEC, 2012

29-10-2012: various Circleconference is being done serially before AIC....

29-10-2012:MTNL, BSNL fail to give dates for Blackberry interception...pti

NEW DELHI: Public sector undertakings -- MTNL and BSNL have not yet given any time frame for testing of services for interception of Blackberry services notwithstanding the December 31 Government deadline for operators to comply with it or shut their services. In a letter, the Government conveyed to Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) that "Blackberry interception solution is in the final stages of development and testing by RIM and the telecom service providers in conjunction with an Legal Intercepting (LI) vendor. "The developed solution should be deployed in coordination with RIM and offered for testing to the respective TERM cells on or before 31-12-12.

27-10-2012: Despite gloomy numbers, BSNL and MTNL must be revived...ET

Several things, including a series of apathetic ministers, are responsible for the sharp decline in the fortunes of state-owned telecom companies MTNL and BSNL. Unaudited results for the last fiscal year show that MTNL's accumulated losses have piled up to more than Rs 6,500 crore. BSNL is still in the black, with accumulated profits of Rs 12,000 crore, but it has made losses in three successive years. Both organisations are overstaffed, with nearly 2,50,000 employees among them, whose salaries make up nearly 50% of their combined revenues. In contrast, salaries are only 3-4% of revenues for their private sector rivals. Even when as companies made losses, BSNL and MTNL had to shell out Rs 20,000 crore and Rs 12,000 crore, respectively, for 3G and broadband spectrum. With virtually no applications and little demand for these 3G services, the large payouts for this spectrum look like a poor decision now. But over time, as 3G services spread, it could become a valuable resource. Both companies need to shed legacy staff. A voluntary retirement scheme, which involves shedding 1,00,000 BSNL employees and around 20,000 people from MTNL's rolls, is likely to cost around Rs 20,000 crore. The government should pay this, because neither company can afford to do so now. Despite the gloomy numbers, it should not be too hard to turn these companies around. Between them, they own 90% of all telecom landlines. This should be leveraged to carry data as well as voice, spreading the internet into parts of India where private players have little infrastructure in place. They must become more focused on customers, pushing services and products, instead of waiting for someone to stumble on them by accident. Babus might make poor managers, especially in a consumer-driven industry like telecom, so both companies should look at hiring professionals from the industry. The Indian government is itself a large customer of telecom and data services. These companies should integrate with the defence and security needs of the government and provide high-quality security and encryption services. Good management can turn both around.

27-10-2012: What is missing in BSNL, MTNL turnaround proposals...?..news

BSNL and MTNL, the two telecom PSUs that kept making losses even as their private sector counterparts cashed in on the boom, have plans to revive their fortunes, but not from their core business. Both the companies have for long been at the receiving end of exploitation by staff unions and politicians. (Gifting of 323 telephone lines by DMK leader Dayanithi Maran, communications minister in UPA-1, to Sun TV Network, a company owned by his brother Kalanithi Maran, is a glaring example of political intervention in the functioning of BSNL. Read the story here.) In their bid to turn around, both BSNL and MTNL are now planning to monetise their real estate assets. BSNL has made proposals to this effect to Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal. The plan include utilisation of its real estate, monetising of towers assets, utilisation of its factories for revenue generation, providing broadband connectivity to schools and leasing out its CDMA network, a report on CNBC TV18 said. Bharat Sanchar Nigam has drawn up plans to lease its real estate assets to developers as it looks to recoup revenue and mounting losses. Both BSNL and MTNL have invited bids from consultants to advise them on monetising their real estate assets, according to a report in The Economic Times. The report says BSNL, which has a huge land bank of 4,400 hectares, will take a final decision on the consultant by 15 November. BSNL plans to develop its land commercially and it has started pilot projects in 10 locations, according to a report in Business Line. It eyes Rs 250 crore as rental income every year. Over the last five years, BSNL and MTNL have drifted from profit to losses. In 2007-08, BSNL had a profit of Rs 3,009 crore and MTNL Rs 5,889 crore. In 2011-12, the companies made Rs 8,851 crore and Rs 4,109 crore losses, respectively. This is in stark contrast to the private sector players which were able to cash in on the telecom boom over the same period. These proposals may work for these companies, given the high realty prices. But are they a long-term business strategy for furthering their core business? Probably not, because these proposals fail to address the core issues, like the sky high staff cost, that are putting a drag on these PSUs. According to a report in the Economic Times, both the companies have a combined staff strength of nearly 2,50,000 and their salaries make up nearly 50% of their aggregate revenues. In comparison, their private sector peers spent 3-4 percent of their revenue on staff salary. Adding to the worries is the huge investment they made in the 3G services, which are yet to take off. Both the companies had to invest a total of about Rs 30,000 crore for the 3G spectrum. However, it is not impossible for these companies to devise a turnaround plan. BSNL has a huge land line subscriber base and also reach to the remotest areas in the country, which it can take advantage of. But for all these, the government needs the will to ring fence them from politician intervention.

27-10-2012: India Government to bear BSNL and MTNL’s one-time spectrum charge of Rs 13000 crore...ET

The India Government is set to bear BSNL and MTNL’s one-time spectrum charge of Rs 13000 crore. Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on spectrum has recently decided that the Centre will bear the cost for the one-time spectrum charge, estimated to be between Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 13,000 crore, that BSNL and MTNL will have to pay, Economic Times reported. This is a significant development for the ailing telecom PSUs. The decision follows communication from BSNL and MTNL about their inability to pay this amount. EGoM noted the request of BSNL and MTNL that government should provide necessary financial support to enable them to bear the cost of retention of spectrum beyond 4.4 MHz. This will enable them to continue to service their customers without necessitating fresh infrastructure investment. The inter-ministerial panel has also cleared the proposal to relax spectrum sharing rules for mobile phone companies. The panel of ministers also decided to do away with the provision to levy a special levy on mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the sector. EGoM was of the view that mergers, in accordance with stipulated guidelines, lead to consolidation of spectrum and increased efficiency. Further, both parties to such merger would have paid for their respective spectrum holding in accordance with the decision on pricing of spectrum. Therefore, no additional charge need to be levied in the event of merger of such compliant licences. EGoM concurred with the proposal that in view of introduction of market-based pricing of spectrum, spectrum transfer charges of 5 percent may not be levied on the difference between the transaction price and the market price of spectrum.

27-10-2012: greetings for Bakrid...........

26-10-2012: urgent meeting of snatta krishnagar on 26-10-2012 at TRC hall ...regarding...

an urgent meeting was called for some immediate issue as declared earlier: 1) JTO LOOK after Charge: it is decided unanimously that snatta will oppose the forciebly given JTO CHARGE to any uninterested DRTTAs but will not have any objection if any individual of DRTTAs got interest and took the charge on his own interest and risk. we shall fight our best if admin tried to force. 2) District Body re-arrangement: As the Existing district Secretary is elected as Circle Secretary , hence it was necessary to change the District secreary. the present member unanimously elected SRI ASHOKE GHOSH, TTA/TRANS /BUH (MOB: 9434175169) as DISTRICT SECRETARY/SNATTA KRISHNAGAR SSA. the modification will be sent to CHQ for approval.He is an efficient soldier of snatta family since snatta formed in Krishnagar. we hope snatta will work more now in krishnagar. 3) organisational review: Members are requested to be self activated and participate in full although maximum members had attended the meeting. 4) fund collection: regularly within every six month , monthly subscription to be cleared. 5)etc.

25-10-2012:Despite gloomy numbers, BSNL and MTNL must be revived...ET bureu

Several things, including a series of apathetic ministers, are responsible for the sharp decline in the fortunes of state-owned telecom companies MTNLBSE -1.75 % and BSNL. Unaudited results for the last fiscal year show that MTNL's accumulated losses have piled up to more than Rs 6,500 crore. BSNL is still in the black, with accumulated profits of Rs 12,000 crore, but it has made losses in three successive years. Both organisations are overstaffed, with nearly 2,50,000 employees among them, whose salaries make up nearly 50% of their combined revenues. In contrast, salaries are only 3-4% of revenues for their private sector rivals. Even when as companies made losses, BSNL and MTNL had to shell out Rs 20,000 crore and Rs 12,000 crore, respectively, for 3G and broadband spectrum. With virtually no applications and little demand for these 3G services, the large payouts for this spectrum look like a poor decision now. But over time, as 3G services spread, it could become a valuable resource. Both companies need to shed legacy staff. A voluntary retirement scheme, which involves shedding 1,00,000 BSNL employees and around 20,000 people from MTNL's rolls, is likely to cost around Rs 20,000 crore. The government should pay this, because neither company can afford to do so now. Despite the gloomy numbers, it should not be too hard to turn these companies around. Between them, they own 90% of all telecom landlines. This should be leveraged to carry data as well as voice, spreading the internet into parts of India where private players have little infrastructure in place. They must become more focused on customers, pushing services and products, instead of waiting for someone to stumble on them by accident. Babus might make poor managers, especially in a consumer-driven industry like telecom, so both companies should look at hiring professionals from the industry. The Indian government is itself a large customer of telecom and data services. These companies should integrate with the defence and security needs of the government and provide high-quality security and encryption services. Good management can turn both around.

Rearding our circle office bearers

In our 3rd circleConference our Circle Office Bearers are unanimously elected with Mr Jagadish paul as President and Mr. Amit Khan as Circle Secretary. Circle body is approved by west Bengal central Coordinator Mr. Banabihari Narendrasingh and is ready to publish after authorizaton by GS SNATTA . We hope all responsible member will participate actively and do something NEW, something CREATIVE, and something UNIQUE and something more which other can think.

3rd Circle Conference of SNATTA West Bengal Telecom Circle

The 3rd Circle Conference of SNATTA West Bengal circle was successfully conducted on 6th October -2012 at 10.30 hrs at Conference HALL GMT Building Kharagpur SSA. It was presided over by Mr.Banabihari Narendrasingh, central coordinator of SNATTA for West Bengal circle. Reception Committee welcomed the leaders who had come to participate in the open session. AGM Admn. of Kharagpur SSA inaugurated the open session.The other leaders whose spoke in the open session were    Mr. Probir Sikdar,CS, SNATTA, Com. G C Bhawel, circle president, NFTE, Com. Sukumar ghosh, 
Organising Secretary, SNEA, Com. Abhay Sen, Div. Secy, AIBSNLEA, Mr Shiv Kant Shukla, 

Div. Secy.AIGETOA, addressed the session.

For details, view 3rd circle conference

Urgent news reg our Circle Conference

Our 3rd circle conference will be held at Kharagpur on 6th october 2012. All members are requested to deposit circle conference fee (Rs 100) to your Divisional secretary immediately or send it through your SSA deligates or directly through circle A/C no-1393010103546, UBI code JLSF21 , Name Sobodh Mondal.