29.09.2007

• Telecom scramble gets shriller
• There were over 200 applications for UASL in just 2 days!!
• What is UASL by the way? Universal Access Service Licence.
• This licence allows the operator offer not just telecom services, but also all other communication services. A couple of terms deserve our attention in this regard.
• Universal Service means that everyone in an area has a telephone in their house (or the right to one if they can afford one). This is usually measured by ‘household penetration’ (how many households have a telephone). A figure of 90% of households with a phone is normally considered to mean that full universal service has been achieved. The universal service percentage for an area is taken to be the percentage of households with a telephone service.
• Universal Access, by contrast, means that everyone can use a telephone (such as a payphone). What ‘accessible’ means is open to debate, one example is saying that there must be a working affordable 24-hour public phone within 5 kilometres.
• An MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) is merely a marketing and branding outfit that owns neither a network infrastructure nor spectrum, but offers telecom services by reselling airtime bought from an existing mobile service provider that owns equipment, licence rights for these services.
• Minus-one placement
• We all know about campus placements in MBA and Engineering colleges; right? Some terminology about it. Slot Zero and Minus-One.
• Slot Zero placement is the most prestigious. Here top MNCs offering best packages are invited as part of the placement process.
• Minus-One placement is offering jobs to the summer interns working for companies.
• The Alcan Prize
• It is instituted by Alcan, a leading global materials company and IBLF (International Business Leaders Forum) for promoting and implementing sustainable development.
• India trying to have a single aviation pact with EU
• At present there are multiple bilateral agreements with all the EU member countries.
• An Open skies agreement will provide designated airlines with unlimited access to any point of call in the territory of all EU member countries. It removes all restrictions and provides for greater operational flexibility.
• Geographical Indication and WTO
• It is an indication that identifies a good as originating from a particular place and its reputation gets associated with the place. Once a country recognizes a particular product as a GI, its name cannot be used by the producers of the same product at a different place. While GIs are accorded protection within a country, it is difficult to get similar protection in other countries. This could be achieved through bilateral agreements.
• The WTO extended GI protection to just two products – wines and spirits.
• India is trying its best to get GI status for a number of products – Kanjeevaram sarees, chikankari and kantha work, and bidri pottery etc.
• Mary Antoinette’s pearls up for auction
• The pearls were taken to Britain by a friend (Lady Sutherland, the British ambassador’s wife) for safekeeping, before Mary Antoinette fled France in 1792.
• They are expected to fetch about $8 lakh.
• Administrator of NASA
• Michael Griffin
• Indira Gandhi Award announced
• The 22^nd award for National Integration has been awarded jointly for promoting communal harmony to:
• J.S. Bandukwala
• Ram Puniyani