3G spectrum update

The Telecom Commission approved the Rs 9,000 crore optic fibre project for the Army and the Navy in lieu of the 3G spectrum which the defence forces are vacating. The proposal would now go to the Cabinet for clearance. State-run BSNL will construct the OFC network for the defence forces. The defence forces are to vacate 25 Mhz of spectrum in the 3G band so that the government may auction it to private telecom operators. A similar project made for the Air Force is currently under testing. The DoT will move a note for the Cabinet on December 3 to consider granting Rs 9,000 crore for the cable network.Once the Cabinet gives its approval, the DoT and the ministry of defence will sign a formal agreement on December 7.
Communications and IT minister A Raja had written to the finance minister last month saying that the 3G spectrum auctions which were due in first week of January might not be held on time since the defence was yet to vacate the 3G spectrum occupied by it. However, the government then appointed a fast- track committee under Sam Pitroda to resolve the issues so that the auctions could be held on time since the government has already budgeted Rs 35,000 crore as receipts from the 3G auction.

Telephone subscriber snippets

The overall telephone subscriber base in the country reached 525.65 million in October with the wireless subscriber base constituting the bulk at 488.40 million, according to data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The wireline subscribers in the country, however,declined to 37.25 million during the month. The overall teledensity in the country reached 44.87%. While wireless subscriber base increased from 471.73 million in September to 488.40 million, registering a growth rate of 3.53%, wireless teledensity increased to 41.69%.
Meanwhile, the wireline subscriber base declined from 37.31 million in September to 37.25 million. State-run BSNL and MTNL has around 85.46% share of the wireline marketshare.The overall wireline tele-density in the country is 3.18%.

Agni-II update

India’s nuclearcapable intermediate range Agni-II missile, test-fired for the first time after sunset on Monday, reportedly failed to get the desired results. The army testfired the surface-to-surface Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) from Wheeler’s Island, district Bhadrak, around 7.50 p.m. “The lift-off and the first stage separation was smooth. But it faltered just before the second stage separation and behaved erratically, deviating from its coordinated path. Further analysis is on to ascertain the cause,’’ said a reliable source involved with the mission. The entire trajectory of Monday’s trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and a naval ship located near the impact point, the sources said. The launch, originally scheduled in the first week of this month, was deferred due to some technical snags in its pneumatic system. Though the snags were rectified, another glitch surfaced during Monday’s test, leading to the fiasco, the source claimed. The nuclear-capable 2,000-km-plus range missile was first tested in April 11, 1999.

Somewhere in Afghanistan....

In a boost for India’s reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, Afghans favoured India’s role in reconstruction and developmental efforts over that of the United Nations, NATO, Iran and Pakistan. A Gallup poll said that 56% preferred India’s role in the reconstruction of the country, while 51% preferred the UN, 44% Nato, 30% Pakistan and 42 % Iran. The Afghans, who were surveyed in June, saw NATO, the United Nations, India, and Iran as playing key roles in the reconstruction effort. But as far as Pakistan was concerned, Afghans were just as likely to point to the country’s role in supporting the Taliban as well as reconstruction efforts. Pointing out that India is the largest regional donor in Afghanistan, the poll report said, “The country’s increasing visibility in reconstruction and development efforts is evident in the roles Afghans see the country as playing and think India should play.” The Gallup data further showed that one in seven Afghans identified India’s current role in economic development and said India should play continue to play this role. As far as Pakistan was concerned, the poll reflected the strain between the two countries over issues related to terrorism and border control. Around 33% said Pakistan’s current role in Afghanistan is supporting the Taliban leadership while 30% Afghans preferred Pakistan playing a role in reconstruction. The Gallup data further suggested that it was important to the Afghan people that cooperation between Afghanistan and the international community should continue. The findings of the poll are being taken as an affirmation of the kind of role India wants to play in Afghanistan. According to Gallup, the survey was conducted to give insight into the kind of roles Afghans think countries and multilateral groups should play in the country.

N deal update

More than a year after the US-India strategic nuclear energy initiative was deemed signed, sealed, and delivered, allowing India to conduct international nuclear commerce, Washington and New Delhi are still tying up loose ends that can allow bilateral trade between the two countries. Put it this way: the US-India agreement (and its approval by the international community) allowed New Delhi to begin limited trading with countries such as Russia and France. But the US Congress and its non-proliferation hardliners, in their wisdom, decreed conditions that have tied the hands and feet of American companies and not allowed them a piece of the action. So US and Indian officials have been bashing heads through the weekend to overcome the residual and regulatory roadblocks before PM Manmohan Singh meets President Barack Obama on Tuesday so they can put their signature on more documents so that the two sides can announce – yet again – that it is a done deal. Among the residual issues a reprocessing agreement for spent fuel meant to ensure that US supplied material is not diverted to the Indian weapons programme, a guarantee that involves an Indian commitment to set up a dedicated reprocessing facility which will function under international safeguards. India is also required to establish by way of legislation a Civil Nuclear Liability Regime to limit compensation by American nuclear companies operating in India in case of nuclear accidents. The cabinet cleared the proposal last week and Washington will be informed that it will be passed in the winter session of Parliament. A final requirement is for a written Indian “assurance” on non-proliferation under an obscure US energy department rule — a late crinkle that caused some furrowed foreheads in India, but which is not expected to hold things up. India’s principal nuclear interlocutors, including Anil Kakodkar and R B Grover have been rushing in and out of Washington DC to tie-up the loose ends in time for the Singh-Obama engagement. Incidentally, Kakodkar will retire as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, on November 30. Strictly speaking, none of the wrinkles were unexpected or beyond the bounds of the nuclear pact. The so-called 123 Agreement did provide a full year’s window for talks, which began in August this year and has already seen three rounds, to tie up the loose ends. “We hope to complete the negotiations earlier than that. The government has already announced twosites(one in AP and one in Gujarat) that would be offered to US companies for nuclear power plants,” a senior Indian diplomat said, maintaining that things were proceeding apace and talk of the nuclear deal going off the rails was misplaced.So yes, there will be a little something on the nuclear front to write home about this coming week, although don’t expect to see the headline “Nuke deal nearing finish line” go away any time soon.

Expressway snippets

The government has drawn up an ambitious target to lay 18,637km network of brand new expressways by 2022. These high-speed, access-controlled roads will be of the four-lane and six-lane variety with 3,530 km to come up in the next three years. The highways ministry is ready with a Master Plan for the National Expressway Network. The new target of expressway length was projected after receiving observations from 11 states including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, the final draft report prepared by the highways ministry had proposed to develop 17,661 km of expressway network. The expressways network will not be an upgraded national highway network but will be developed entirely as greenfield projects. These will preferably be built with threemetre high embankments and will have service roads along the stretches where there is a need. Officials said there was an urgent need to develop expressways network as road transport would remain the mainstay for sustaining the economic momentum of the country. “The existing arterial network cannot meet the latent and the emerging demands for connectivity and accessibility while ensuring the desired level of safety,” said a senior ministry official. As per estimates, the construction cost per km would be Rs 14 crore in case of 4-lane and Rs 20 crore in case of 6-lane expressways excluding land acquisition and other expenses. A recent presentation made before the top brass of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the ministry also mentioned that while majority of identified stretches would be built on build-operate-transfer (BOT) mode, stretches which were unviable could be developed on annuity basis. The Master Plan document has also phased the expressway development programme for 2012, 2017 and 2022 and this has been done on the basis of financial viability, relative traffic intensity along various corridor segments, network comprehensiveness, connectivity warrants and relative economic potential of each proposed project. The ministry is already in the process of preparing a draft for creation of a National Expressways Authority of India (NEAI) on the lines of NHAI and the highway regulator has also got an exclusive wing for the expressway as a stop-gap arrangement. 18,637km : Final length of National Expressways Network targeted to be completed by 2022 3,530km : Target By 2012, including Sholapur-Hyderabad-Vijayawada (580km), Delhi-Panipat-Ambala (195 km), Trichur-Kanyakumari (400km) Mangalore-Karwar-Panaji (400km) Construction cost per km : Rs 14cr in case of four-lane, Rs 20cr in the case of six-lane expressways

Across the Yamuna....

Bridges across the Yamuna in Delhi