India's Telecom Reform - Indian Institute of Public Administration

India’s Telecom Reform: A Chronological Account
1995: Working fixed lines cross 10 million, annual fixed
line growth crosses 20 percent.
1995, January 16: Tenders invited for cellular services in
the rest of India.
1995, March: Paging services debut in India.
1995, March 15: The Gupta Committee makes recommendations
regarding the restructuring of DoT.
1995, May 27: DoT issues clarifications and announces
several changes in the original tender conditions of the basic
services. Tender opening date extended to June 23, 1995.
1995, June 07: DoT receives 33 bids for mobile services
in 18 telecom circles. No bidders for Andaman & Nicobar
and Jammu and Kashmir circles.
1995, June 23: 81 bids received for fixed line (basic) services
in 20 Circles. No bids for Jammu and Kashmir.
1995. August 05: DoT opens financial bids for cellular
mobile services.
1995, August 15: VSNL begins public Internet access in
selected cities.
1995, August 23: Modi Telstra launches the first cellular
operation in the country in Calcutta.
1995, November 2: The government announces that no
company may retain more than three A and B Circle
licences.
1995, December 1: Second round of bidding for basic
services in 13 Circles.
1995, December 12: DoT issues 34 licenses to 14 companies
for operating cellular services in the 18 telecom Circles.
1996, January 1: Bids for basic services opened. Only six
companies participate in the bidding. Only five Circles out
of 13 receive acceptable bids.
1996, March 12: Letter of Intent awarded to highest bidders
in the second round of bidding.
1996, March 15: Third round of bidding for basic service
licenses for nine Circles.
1996, May: Draft Interconnect Agreement released by
DoT. Discussions begin with mobile operators.
1996, July 23: TRAI Bill introduced in Lok Sabha.
1996, October: Mobile licenses issued to two operators
each in 20 Circles.
1996, November: DoT allows assignability of cellular licenses,
meeting the demand of financial institutions.
1997, February: India signs Telecommunications Basic
Services agreement at World Trade Organisation (WTO)
allowing companies with up to 25 percent foreign equity
access to most parts of its telecom market. It signs up for
a regulatory reference paper that forms part of the agreement,
but its commitment does not include important competitive
safeguards relating to state owned and other incumbents,
independent regulators and issues such as interconnection
and spectrum fees.
1997, March 18: TRAI Bill, 1997, a modification of the
previous Bill presented a year ago, passed by the Lok Sabha
and the Rajya Sabha.
1997, March 25: TRAI is set up with three members.
1997, March 26: COAI approaches TRAI against DoT’s
order that hikes the price of fixed to mobile calls.
1997, April: Mobile services commence in non-metro
Circles.
1997, April 25: TRAI quashes DoT’s PSTN to mobile
tariff order.
1997, September 12: DoT gives clearance for national
automatic roaming.
1997, October 10: MTNL indicates intention to enter into
cellular services in its GDR Prospectus.
1997, November 3: Cellular operators seek TRAI intervention
to stop MTNL’s plans to offer mobile services.
1997, November 19: Private operators permitted to make
their licenses assignable in favour of the lenders.
1997, December 4: Consultation paper on numbering plan.
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