News From 2

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  Govt announces more incentives for businesses embracing digital payments

  In a bid to promote cashless transactions, the government on Friday said businesses with annual turnover of over Rs 50 crore can offer low-cost digital modes of payments and no charges or Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) will be imposed on them or their customers.

• Customs waiver to boost local players, made in India products: Industry

  

• Budget 2019: Customs duty on optical fibre, digital camera hiked

  

• Cybersecurity as a key challenge in realising India’s digital economy potential: ESET survey

  

• Government working out package for BSNL to make it more productive: Ravi Shankar Prasad

  

• Govt received 729 call drop complaints this year

  

• No proposal to lay off 54,000 employees approved by BSNL: Prasad

  

• India to decide on Huawei’s participation in 5G trial based on security and economic interests

  

• Govt considering internet monitoring through centralised system

  

More from 2

• Telcos can’t pay through the nose, need to relook at auction system: Niti Aayog official

  Telecom operators need to be financially sound to build up infrastructure and there is a need to review the auction architecture as they cannot pay high prices for spectrum, a senior Niti Aayog official said Wednesday. “We need telcos also to be financially sound.

  

• 25 Central, state govt websites hacked till May this year: Ravi Shankar Prasad

  The government has taken several steps to prevent cybersecurity incidents and enhancing cybersecurity in the country, Prasad said, listing out specific measures in this regard.

  

• SC to hear DoT plea on amalgamation of Bharti Airtel, Tikona Digital

  The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had taken note of Bharti Airtel’s plea against the DoT demand for spectrum fees and stayed it.

  

• Benefits of new blockchain tech for curbing pesky calls to be visible in a month: Trai chief

  Sharma said that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will review the progress made by operators in this regard in the first week of July.

  

• BSNL clears employees’ full salary for June

  The company has cleared around Rs 750 crore for salaries, paid interest of around Rs 800 crore on loans.

  

• PM Modi, US President Trump discuss Iran, trade, defence, 5G

  Modi thanked Trump for expressing his “love towards India” in a letter recently delivered by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

  

• Call drop common in mobile networks across the world: Telecom Minister

  Call drop can occur due to many reasons and is common in mobile networks across the world, said telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The minister however said that telecom service providers should ensure that call drop rate in their mobile networks remain within the benchmarks laid down by regulator Trai.

  

• Rajiv Pratap Rudy counters Ravi Shankar Prasad’s remark on free telecom services

  Some opposition members said Rudy should be made the minister to improve the state of affairs. He was a minister of state in the previous Modi government.

  

• Amazon India head Amit Agarwal takes over as IAMAI chairman

  Amazon India Senior Vice-President and Country Head Amit Agarwal has been named as the new chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Tuesday. He succeeds former Google India MD Rajan Anandan.

  

• Government asks BSNL to put all capex on hold, stop tenders

  The order has asked BSNL officers to put in abeyance advance purchase orders, and purchase orders of tenders that have been already finalised till further instruction.

  

• Reliance raises USD 1.85 billion in long-term loan

  The fundraising comes amid reports of the company planning to infuse as much as Rs 20,000 crore into its telecom unit.

  

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