60 companies apply for MVNO licenses in India
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India’s Department of Telecom (DoT) has published a list of 60 companies applying for an MVNO license in various cities.
The companies have between them applied for 70 state, city or sub-district specific licenses across 11 of India’s 22 telecoms circles.
The DoT is offering MVNO licenses under a unified license arrangement, with an entry fee of 75 million rupees ($1.1 million).
MVNOs seeking to offer services on a pan-India basis will need to pay a 1.5 million rupee license fee and a 10.25 million rupee fee for a national and international long distance license.
There were no applications for the Bangalore circle and only one each for Punjab, Maharashra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. By contrast, Gujarat received 22 applications, Mumbai received 12, Uttar Pradesh got 11 and there were eight in Delhi.
Some companies applied for more than one city or circle specific license, with Mumbai’s Telenet Services making seven applications.
MVNOs will be able to partner with multiple operators, but with the exception of data services, will be able to have only one MNO provider per access service type.
Questions & Answers
Q.What is the total number of specific licenses applied for across India?
What is the total number of specific licenses applied for across India?
Companies have applied for 70 state, city, or sub-district specific licenses. These applications cover 11 of India’s 22 telecoms circles, as detailed by the Department of Telecom.
Q.How much does a company need to pay for a pan-India MVNO license, including national and international long distance services?
How much does a company need to pay for a pan-India MVNO license, including national and international long distance services?
A pan-India MVNO license costs 1.5 million rupees. An additional 10.25 million rupees is required for a national and international long distance license, totalling 11.75 million rupees.
Q.Which specific circles or cities received the most applications for MVNO licenses?
Which specific circles or cities received the most applications for MVNO licenses?
Gujarat received the highest number of applications with 22. Mumbai followed with 12 applications, Uttar Pradesh received 11, and Delhi had eight, showing significant interest in these regions.
Q.Are there any limitations on how many mobile network operators an MVNO can partner with?
Are there any limitations on how many mobile network operators an MVNO can partner with?
MVNOs can partner with multiple operators generally. However, for each access service type, they are limited to only one MNO provider, with the exception of data services.