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The government is examining proposals from three telecom companies keen to opt for converting interest on deferred spectrum and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues into equity, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. The minister -- responding during Question Hour to a query if the government has any equity in private telecom firm Vodafone -- said a one-time option was given to telecom companies to either pay upfront the interest on AGR dues or convert it in the form of equity in lieu of that as part of the structural reforms announced in September last year. The one-time option was given to telecom companies to ensure the government's revenue is not compromised, he said. The minister said, "Three companies have exercised that option. We have received their letters and we are examining them." The option was also given because the telecom sector has been going through a tough phase for many years, due to which, the balance sheet of many companies is not go
Department of Telecom (DoT) has extended the duration of archiving call data and internet usage records of subscribers to two years from one year due to security reasons. The amendments in the licences were issued on December 21 and extended to other forms of telecom permits on December 22. "The licensee shall maintain all commercial records/call detail record/exchange detail record/IP detail record with record to the communications exchanged on the network. Such records shall be archived for at least two years for scrutiny by the licensor for security reasons...," the DoT circular said. Telecom companies may destroy the data stored thereafter if there is no direction from the DoT thereafter. The circular said that the amendment is necessary in "public interest or in the interest of the security of the state or for the proper conduct of the telegraphs". The amendment mandates telecom companies to maintain internet data records of subscribers including login and logout details of a