Videocon Telecom
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | April 7, 2010 |
| Headquarters | Gurgaon , India |
Area served | India (11 telecom circles) |
| Parent | Videocon Group |
Videocon Telecommunications Limited, previously known as Videocon Mobile Services, was an Indian provider of cellular network services delivering GSM connectivity under the Videocon brand. Operating as a subsidiary within the Videocon Group, its corporate headquarters were located in Gurgaon, Haryana. The company commenced its service offerings on 7 April 2010 in the city of Mumbai. At its operational zenith, Videocon possessed licences for 18 out of the 22 telecom circles in India but commercially operated in only 11. As a consequence of the 2G spectrum case, the Supreme Court annulled 122 licences granted in 2008, including 21 held by Videocon.
During the 2012 spectrum auction, Videocon successfully reacquired licences in six telecom circles. On 16 March 2016, it divested its spectrum holdings in these regions to Bharti Airtel. The company discontinued services in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh (West) on 26 December 2015, followed by cessation in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh (East) on 11 May 2016.
Sale of spectrum
In November 2015, Videocon reached an agreement to transfer its spectrum assets in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh (West) to Idea Cellular Ltd. for . By March 2016, Bharti Airtel proposed acquisition terms amounting to to obtain spectrum across all six circles where Videocon was active. Pursuing an exit strategy from the telecom sector, Videocon finalized a transaction with Airtel on 16 March 2016 to sell 2 x 5 MHz spectrum within the 1800 MHz frequency band across these circles, subject to regulatory clearance.
Airtel declared the successful completion of this acquisition on 24 May 2016.
Operations in Punjab
The operations of Videocon within Punjab were conducted through its fully owned subsidiary Quadrant Televentures Ltd (formerly HFCL Infotel). The assets held by Quadrant were not included in the Airtel deal and continue to deliver GSM mobile services throughout Punjab. Additionally, Quadrant provides broadband and fixed-line telephony under the Connect Broadband brand.
In January 2017, Quadrant informed its approximately three million subscribers about the termination of mobile services in Punjab effective from 15 February 2017, advising customers to migrate to alternate providers. Subsequently, TRAI instructed Quadrant to relinquish its Unified Access Service License (UASL) for Punjab. Nevertheless, Quadrant clarified that it intended to discontinue only mobile services while sustaining wired internet offerings. TRAI then prohibited suspension of services and mandated continued operation until the UASL's expiration on 30 September 2017.
Quadrant requested all mobile users to port their numbers out by midnight on 18 April 2017.
Controversy
In the year 2012, the Supreme Court revoked fifteen telecom licences held by Videocon amid the fallout from the 2G spectrum allocation scandal. On 21 December 2017, a CBI court acquitted all individuals accused in the 2008 case, including former telecom minister A. Raja.