Tata Teleservices (ttsl) To Roll Out 60 Mn Gsm Lines !

[Honest 836]

TTSL to roll out 60 mn GSM lines

Economic Times l 9 Dec l Mumbai

Telecom service provider Tata Teleservices (TTSL) has partnered with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Huawei Technologies for rolling out 60 million GSM lines under separate five-year contracts valued at around $3.5 billion.

According to sources, CDMA operator TTSL floated the request for proposal (RFP) for 60 million GSM lines some months ago. “It has finalised Nokia for providing services in nine circles, while Huawei has bagged the contract for some other circles,” industry sources told ET.

With a robust CDMA infrastructure already in place, TTSL is expected to buy only electronics from GSM networks providers. It will use the existing 60,000 km of fiber optic network as well as passive infrastructure and retail network for speedy rollout of GSM.

However, NSN and TTSL did not specify any details of the deal. However, sources said TTSL was likely to pay between $50 and $60 per line. Each line represents the number of customers that will be serviced by the network. TTSL currently has nearly 30 million customers and is targeting 60 million GSM users in the next few years.

“Managed services forms just one portion of the vast scope of the deal — the complete services outlay includes local supplies, network planning, project management, network roll-out and systems integration activities across the national network,” TTSL managing director Anil Sardana said in Mumbai.

“We feel suitably aligned to NSN, which has a massive services set-up in the country, can provide us the required support,” he added. NSN head for sub-region India Michael Kuehner said, “Not only does this partnership allow us to work with one of the most prestigious names in Indian corporate history, but being selected for TTSL’s GSM launch also considerably strengthens our dominance across the Indian telecom landscape.”

Mr Sardana has already announced a capex of $2 billion for the next few years. With the infusion of $2.7 billion by Japanese giant NTT DoCoMo, which has bought 26% stake in the company, TTSL has enough finances for GSM rollout.

[Honest 836]

Tata Teleservices plans to expand network to 70 more towns

Business Line l 17 Dec l Hyderabad

Private telecom services provider Tata Teleservices is in the process of finalising plans for launch of its GSM-based wireless services.

The operator is awaiting necessary clearances and expects to roll out GSM services across the country.

The company has 30 million subscribers across the country with Andhra Pradesh recently crossing the land mark of 3 million subscribers.

The Circle Operating Officer, AP Circle, Mr S. Ramakrishna, said “the AP circle achieving this land mark reflects the strong infrastructure we have built in the State through telecom corridors. This has begun to pay off with the addition of new subscribers. The first million took up eight years, the second two years and the third just over a year.”

Rs 140-cr investment

Tata Teleservices has invested about Rs 3,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh circle which is the second largest network after Delhi. During the current year, Tata Teleservices plans to invest Rs 140 crore for network expansion.

“From a reach of about 400 towns beginning this year, we have grown to 535 towns across the State. By the end of current financial year, we expect to close with another 70 more towns, thereby extending the footprint significantly,” he said.

Referring to a recent survey by independent research firm Phi Metrics, Mr Ramakrishna said that its results vindicate the seamless coverage Tata Indicom services provide to the customer. For 1,000 calls that were assessed, it resulted in over 99.25 per cent coverage, which was a highest among operators.

Mr Ramakrishna today has been handed additional charge to manage Orissa circle.

[Sadikk 301]

Good move TTSL.

[savramesh 37]

Tata Tele draws up $2-bn capex plan for GSM mobile service

Economic Times

20 Apr 2009, 1822 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Tata group mobile service company Tata Teleservices Ltd, in which Japan's NTT DoCoMo has a 26 per cent stake, has drawn up a capex plan of USD two billion in 2009-10 for launching GSM-based mobile services.

"We have a capex (plan) of USD two billion for the current fiscal (2009-10) for launching GSM services. The service will be launched in a few weeks," TTSL MD Anil Sardana said today after the company's launch of a value-added service.

Tata Teleservices, India's fifth-largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers, operates on the CDMA technology, but is also expanding its services on GSM platform after the government's nod to telcos for using dual technology of GSM and CDMA on a single licence.

The company has 35 million subscribers. He said the company has received spectrum (for GSM) in all circles, except in Delhi, and would start launching GSM mobile services in southern states soon followed by eastern India.

Sardana said the company is waiting for statutory approval for the merger of its tower arm with Quippo Telecom.

TTSL, in January, merged its tower arm with Quippo Telecom, a pure play towers company, to create a Rs 13,000-crore entity with 18,000 towers -- making it the second largest firm in terms of number of towers.

[savramesh 37]

Tata Teleservices to roll out GSM services soon

The Hindu

Monday, April 20, 2009 : 1525 Hrs

New Delhi (IANS): Tata Teleservices Ltd, one of the leading mobile telephone service providers in the country using CDMA technology, Monday said it has earmarked $2 billion as capital expenditure for rolling out services through the other technology, GSM.

"We will roll out GSM services in few weeks," company managing director Anil Sardana told reporters here.

Tata'a move will make it the second private telecom company offering services on both CDMA and GSM platforms, after Reliance Communication (R-Com).

R-Com launched GSM services earlier this year.

State-run telecom companies, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) are also offering both technologies.

[savramesh 37]

Tata Tele asks govt to process 3 GSM licences

Economic Times

21 Apr 2009, 0013 hrs IST

NEW DELHI: Tata Teleservices has demanded that the government process its applications for GSM licences and spectrum in three circles — Assam, North East and J&K — even as it maintained that there is no change in its plans to spend $2 billion in capital expenditure over the next two years.

Currently, Tata Teleservices, India’s fifth-largest operator, uses CDMA technology to offer mobile services and accounted for about 34 million of the country’s 375.74 million mobile users as on February-end. Last year, Tata Teleservices had announced that it would spend $2 billion in capital expenditure for network rollout, while adding that a bulk of this would be spent for GSM launch. “We are on track. This amount ($2 billion) has been committed. We will be launching GSM services, starting with the South Indian states in a few weeks,” Telco managing director Anil Sardana said on Monday.

While Tatas have got GSM licences in 19 of the 22 telecom circles, the company’s plans for the remaining circles has received a setback. This is because, an internal wing of the Department of Telecom (DoT) had recently proposed that Tatas’ applications for the remaining three circles not be processed and it be bundled with the 343 other pending applications for telecom licences. DoT’s logic was that the company had applied late for licences and spectrum in these three circles.

“We hope that our request for grant of in-principle approval to use GSM technology in Assam, North East and J&K is being processed by DoT. In the absence of the in-principle approval, we are put to significant competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis other GSM operators who have a pan-India presence,” Mr Sardana said in a communication to DoT.

Mr Sardana, in his communication has also said that despite Tata Teleservices having obtained CDMA licences in these three circles only last year, it has already rolled out mobile services on this technology platform in ‘a record period of eight months’. On the other hand, other telcos who were given licences, at the same time, are yet to rollout services, Mr Sardana added.

Among the 19 circles where Tatas have got GSM licences, the company has received spectrum (radio frequencies or airwaves on which telecom signals travel) in all areas except Delhi. “We are a little concerned about Delhi and will be taking up the issue with the government,” he added.

Tata Teleservices on Monday also announced the launch of ‘Quickfinder A-GPS’ (Assisted Global Positioning System) service, which is the first-of-its-kind location-based service in India. Quickfinder will deliver advanced location-based services, enabling consumers and enterprises to pin-point locations of interest or track vehicles and consignments from origin to destination in real time, the company said in a statement.

[ravi_patent 28]

BS reports that TATA will be eyeing the premium end of GSM market in contrast to the mass image acquired in CDMA