India's Telecom Reform - Indian Institute of Public Administration

Appendix I
Chronology of Indian Telecom Reform
1990, December: A high level committee headed by Dr. M.
B. Athreya was set up to recommend the most appropriate
organisational structure for the management of telecom services
in the country. The committee recommended that the
DoT be split into four corporate entities, value added services
should be thrown open to competition by public or
private enterprises, co-operatives etc. Small entrepreneurs must
be encouraged in installation, cabling, closed user networks
and subscriber premises work, for greater efficiency and
employment generation. Importantly, policy and regulation
should be separated from operations.
1991-1993: The beginnings of private sector participation
in telecom services. The sub-sector of ‘value added services’
was opened up to private investment in July 1992.
These included:
Cellular Mobile Radio Telephone
Radio Paging
Electronic Mail etc. services
1992, January 20: DoT invites technical bids for cellular
mobile telephone services in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and
Madras.
1992, July: Value added services opened to private investment
by DoT. These include e-mail, voice mail, 64 Kpbs
private data services, audio text and video text services,
radio trunking services, cellular mobile services, radio paging
services, and video-conferencing.
1992, October 12: The Minister of Telecommunications
announces the list of metro cellular licensees. The metro
cellular operators - Bharti, Essar, Hutchison Max, BPL,
Modi Telstra, Usha Martin, Skycell and RPG win licences
for cellular services in metros.
1993, May: As part of the ongoing reform process, the
Ministry of Communications requests ICICI to recommend
terms and conditions for the private sector’s entry
into India’s telecom services and to study the necessary
changes required in the telecom sector and recommend
modalities for constituting an independent Telecom Regulatory
Authority.
1993, October: The G.S.S. Murthy Committee submits its
report on the licensing of public switched telephone networks.
1994, January: ICICI submits its report on the setting up
of a Telecom Regulatory Body for India.
1994, May 13: National Telecom Policy (NTP-94) was
announced.
1994, June 13: ICICI Telecom Working Group report on
entry conditions for basic telecom services suggests the
optimal level for entry of private players should be a Secondary
Switching Area (SSA).
1994, November 10: ICICI Telecom Working Group
submits final report on the process for the selection of
new operators for basic services.
1994, November 29: On the basis of re-evaluation as per
the directions of the Supreme Court, on a petition by one
of the operators, DoT orders a change in the cellular operator
for Mumbai. Hutchison Max signs licence for
Bombay.
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