Tata Tele in talks with PC makers

Adith Charlie

On August 22, 2009 on the Hindu Business Line at http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/22/stories/2009082250720400.htm

Mumbai, Aug. 21 Tata Teleservices looks to partner with laptop and netbook makers for promoting its mobile broadband service, Photon, among buyers of new computers.

The Mumbai-based firm is currently in talks with companies such as Lenovo, HCL, Dell, Toshiba and others for the same.

“We are looking to sign up with laptop manufactures to see whether they can incorporate the Tata Photon as a purchase device along with their laptops and also give special offers on the same. The days of people buying a laptop without going in for connectivity options have clearly gone,” Mr Lloyd Mathias, President- Business Development, VAS & Chief Marketing Officer told Business Line.

Tata Tele already has a tie-up with Hewlett-Packard; consumers can get a Rs 3,500 Photon Plus for Rs 1,200 when they buy a HP/Compaq laptop.

The company is expected to sign up with at least two more laptop manufacturers in the next few months.

NTT DoCoMo laments limited value-add in India

Thomas K Thomas on August 22, 2009 on the Hindu Business Line at http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/22/stories/2009082250660400.htm

Tokyo, Aug. 21 Indian operators should give a higher percentage of revenue share to application developers in order to promote value-added services (VAS), according to Japanese mobile player NTT DoCoMo.

In Japan, for example, NTT DoCoMo gives away as much as 90 per cent of the revenues earned from VAS to the application developers. In comparison, most Indian mobile players keep 60-70 per cent of the income earned from applications.

“It will take a while for them to understand that giving a higher share to VAS players works to the operators’ advantage in the long run. But we will have to persuade them to take a lower share so we can get an ecosystem that supports good data services,” Mr Toshinari Kuneida, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of Global Business Division, NTT DoCoMo, told Business Line.

Mr Kuneida said that NTT DoCoMo will talk to its Indian partner, Tata Teleservices, to change the VAS business model in India.

VAS contribution

In India, value added services contribute only 5-10 per cent to an operator’s revenues. In contrast, operators such as NTT DoCoMo get over 40 per cent of their average revenue per user from interesting data services. That is because while there is not much innovation happening in the Indian VAS segment, Japanese operators are giving services useful to the subscriber’s everyday life.

For example, NTT DoCoMo has launched a healthcare service that gives consumer details about his physical condition including how much he has walked in a day, his body mass index and how much he needs to cut down on food. The service is linked to a medical doctor’s device in the backend that receives data about the subscriber’s health and comes back with an advice. All this over the mobile phone.

In India, VAS are all SMS-based services with little innovation. Most VAS players do not find it feasible to invest in developing high-end applications since the operators are not willing to give more than 30 per cent of the revenue earned from that service.

But with Indian operators on the verge of launching 3G technologies, they will have to encourage application development if they have to start earning higher revenues from data services. Due to the cutting-edge applications being developed in Japan, players such as NTT DoCoMo are seeing 80 per cent of the total traffic coming from data services in that country.

TTML awards media duties to Square Circle Outdoors Pvt Ltd

Mumbai, July 01, 2009: Tata Indicom press release

 Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited has awarded media duties to Square Circle Outdoors Pvt. Ltd. for Out-of-Home (OOH) solutions for Brand Tata Indicom. 

Mr. Shashank Pore, General Manager-Marketing, Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, said, “Tata Indicom, today, has evolved into a vibrant and pulsating brand with high visibility and top-of-mind brand recall. OOH plays a very critical role in creating and sustaining brand visibility. I am confident that Square Circle appreciates this and will prove to be a worthy partner.” 

Robin Carruthers, CEO, Square Circle Outdoors says, “We are delighted with this win and thank TTML for having reposed their trust in our abilities. Today OOH is counted as one of the key media components in any brand visibility study. We understand the criticality of this medium and will ensure that Tata Indicom continues to enjoy the most premium points across both the circles.”

TATA DOCOMO Launches GSM Service in Kerala

Kochi, 25 June 2009:

TATA DOCOMO, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices Limited, today announced the commercial launch of its operations in Kerala, just a day after it announced its launch in Tamil Nadu. The company’s Next Gen GSM service started on a heady note, with TTSL Managing Director Anil Sardana making the first phone call from TATA DOCOMO’s 3Gready network to Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor. TATA DOCOMO’s pan-India service rollout will be completed this year, with South Indian Circles going ‘live’ soon.

In a message at the launch press conference, Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons, said: “The value proposition offered by TATA-DOCOMO is a unique and revolutionary idea which symbolizes the spirit of innovation and inventive genius. This launch is truly a moment of triumph for the consumer. The launch of pay-per-use, per-second concept offered by TATADOCOMO will create a paradigm shift  in the overall telecom experience for the customer and provide a service that is refreshingly different.”

ECI Telecom bags $70 mn contract from Tata Tele- Telecom-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

17 Jun 2009, 1925 hrs IST, ET Bureau

via ECI Telecom bags $70 mn contract from Tata Tele- Telecom-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times.

NEW DELHI: Tata Teleservices on Wednesday awarded a $70 million contract to Israel-based ECI Telecom to deliver fixed-broadband access network across the country.

ECI has already rolled out the service for Tata Tele in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vizag, Vijayawada, Surat and Baroda.

ECI’s broadband solution would enable TTSL to offer triple-play services and applications such as IPTV, video on demand, high speed broadband internet, VoIP and other bandwidth intensive services.

Related stories at

• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Tata-Teleservices-in-pact-with-ECI-for-broadband-services/articleshow/4667773.cms

Revenue, not user base, to set telecom pecking order

17 Jun 2009, 0305 hrs IST, Rashmi Pratap, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: Subscriber numbers in India’s wireless story are losing their relevance today as far as determining the industry position of a service provider is concerned. t will be revenues and not subscriber numbers that could decide the pecking order in the world’s fastest-growing telecom market.

This is reflected in the latest revenue figures released by the industry regulator, Trai. Going by this, the top three operators in India are Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL).

Airtel’s adjusted gross revenue (AGR) from wireless and wireline operations was Rs 7,998 crore for the March quarter. Vodafone Essar, which offers only mobile services, had revenues of Rs 4,456 crore during January-March 2009 on a subscriber base of 68.7 million. Reliance Communications (RCOM), which has the second largest customer base, reported an AGR of only Rs 2,998 crore on 72.6 million users during the quarter, making it the fourth largest in terms of revenues.

The revenues for the state-owned BSNL stood at Rs 3,943 crore making it the third largest. BSNL offers mobile services on GSM apart from fixed line services. Besides showing the revenue capabilities of an operator, AGR is significant, as it is the basis on which service providers pay licence fee and spectrum charges. Operators pay a revenue share licence fee to the government ranging from 6% to 10% of their AGR. Increasingly, operators are targeting revenue growth instead of a larger user base.

According to Bharti Airtel’s vision statement, the company’s aim is 20% increase in revenue margin per subscriber in the next few years.

Analysts contend that with more and more low-end users signing up for services, it is becoming difficult for operators to maintain margins and improve ARPUs (average revenue per user per month). In such a scenario, those who continue to grow revenues along with subscriber base will be the clear winners.

“As the new subscriber base is primarily drawn from tier III towns and rural markets, the incremental subscriber addition is not leading to a commensurate revenue upside for telcos. The catchphrase to evaluate a telco’s performance will be quality of subscribers rather than the number of new subscribers,” Acsendia Consulting principal analyst, Alok Shende told ET.

A smaller player like Idea Cellular, which operates in 13 circles, had AGR of Rs 2,389 crore on a subscriber base of 39 million. This is just about Rs 600 crore less than RCOM on a base which is almost half of that company.

KPMG director (telecom) Romal Shetty said, “Initially, everyone was going after subscriber numbers. Now, they are looking at quality of subscribers. This explains the emphasis on value added services (VAS), which bring in higher revenues.” He pointed out that low-end pre-paid users are now bringing in monthly revenues of as low as Rs 70 per month.

Tata Teleservices reported revenues of Rs 1,889 crore during the quarter placing it at sixth followed by state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL). Aircel, a relatively new entrant, is at the eight position, which had AGR of Rs 721 crore during the quarter.

TTSL to deploy ECIs IP-based broadband n/w – CIOL News Reports

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) and ECI Telecom, a global provider of networking infrastructure solutions optimized for NGN migration, partnered to deliver fixed-broadband access network supporting speeds of up to 18 Mbps.

As part of the agreement, TTSL will deploy an all-IP next-generation network featuring ECI’s, award winning, Hi FOCuS multi-service access node (MSAN) and SR9000 carrier Ethernet switch router (CESR) platforms.

This broadband access solution has already been deployed across eight cities: Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vizag, Vijayawada, Surat and Baroda; for TTSL’s ‘Photon Pro’ network.

ECI’s solution, part of the company’s 1Net framework to simplify networks and allow smooth transition to NGN, represents one of the most comprehensive multi-service, IP-based, broadband access networks that simultaneously supporting next-generation data, video and voice over both fibre and copper infrastructure.

The solution will enable TTSL to enable IPTV, video on demand, high speed broadband Internet, VoIP and other bandwidth intensive services.

A G Rao, president & CTO, Tata Teleservices Limited, said: “ECI’s solutions will allow us to deliver a full spectrum of next-generation services today, well ahead of other operators in the market, while addressing our evolving needs as network architecture and technologies change in the future.”

Rafi Maor, president and CEO, ECI Telecom, said: “ECI brings proven experience and excellence in the broadband access market, servicing and supporting some of the world’s largest tier-1 networks.”

via TTSL to deploy ECIs IP-based broadband n/w – CIOL News Reports.

Related stories at

• http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/06/18/stories/2009061851710400.htm
• http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-Business&id=c643b378-d957-4268-9217-e3284c521217&Headline=Tata+Teleservices+in+pact+with+ECI+for+broadband+services
• http://efytimes.com/efytimes/fullnewsxml.asp?edid=35209

Excerpt from the above:

“ECI’s expertise and in-depth understanding of broadband access solutions were key factors in our decision to choose ECI for this important project. The company’s market-leading solutions allow us to deliver a full spectrum of next-generation services today, well ahead of other operators in the market, while addressing our evolving needs as network architecture and technologies change in the future,” commented A. G. Rao, president and chief technology officer, Tata Teleservices Limited.

Israel-based ECI has been providing the India communication conglomerate with network infrastructure solutions, such as wireless backhaul, WiMax backbone, and broadband access and transport solutions for over five years.

“We are proud of our long-term partnership with TTSL and honoured to be chosen as a trusted partner for this inaugural project. ECI brings proven experience and excellence in the broadband access market, servicing and supporting some of the world’s largest tier I networks,” commented Rafi Maor, president and CEO, ECI Telecom.

TTSL achieves 5mn subscribers in Maharashtra – CIOL News Reports

TTSL achieves 5mn subscribers in Maharashtra – CIOL News Reports

From http://www.ciol.com on June 16, 2009

Shared via AddThis

MUMBAI: Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited (TTML), today announced that its Rest of Maharashtra circle has crossed the 5 million subscriber mark.

The increasing subscriber base stands testimony to Tata Indicom’s constant endeavour to innovate and introduce smart products on a network rated No.1 on overall customer satisfaction in independent surveys commissioned by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the release added.

Commenting on the achievement, Rajesh Puri, president – Operations, Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited said, “Rest of Maharashtra is a very important region for us. Our investments in network and consumer care hold us in good stead. We will continue to introduce innovative offerings for both existing and new consumers and be the brand of choice across segments.”

Will TN be Tata DoCoMo’s first port of call?

The Hindu Business Line on June 13, 2009

Our Bureau

 Chennai, June 12 Although Mr Deepak Gulati, President, Tata DoCoMo, refused to commit on when the new GSM mobile operator would begin its calling, he let slip a telling comment as he closed a meeting with a group of journalists here: “See you before the end of this month.”

There was nothing notably unique in Mr Gulati’s description of relative strengths of Tata Docomo vis-À-vis the competition: Strong parents, winning technology, value-based pricing, unexceptionable customer service — singularly common industry language. When this was pointed out, Mr Gulati said, “Wait and see.”

Tata Docomo has GSM licence for offering cellular phone service in 18 of the 22 telecom circles in India. Of the other four, the only significantly large circle that the Tata-NTT DoCoMo joint venture does not have is Delhi. (DoCoMo has a 26 per cent stake in the company, which it acquired in November 2008 for $2.7 billion.)

Mr Gulati said that DoCoMo is the largest operator in Japan with 52 per cent market share, a pioneer of the 3G technology in Japan, and an intensely technology-based company. Backed with such technical strengths and Tata’s brand image, Tata DoCoMo expects to garner a significant share of the growing Indian mobile market. Mr Gulati did not want to disclose the company’s subscriber or revenue projections.

NTT DoCoMo, Tata To Launch GSM Service This Month

From www.efytimes.com

Thursday, June 11, 2009:  NTT DoCoMo, in association with Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL), has announced the new ‘TATA DoCoMo’ brand for a GSM service to be provided in India, in which DoCoMo owns a 26 per cent stake. TTSL plans to launch the GSM service in southern India this month and gradually expand it nationwide.

The new brand, developed by the business and technology cooperation committee that DoCoMo and TTSL have jointly established, symbolises the two companies’ partnership and their commitment to the development of India’s rapidly growing mobile phone market, according to the company.

DoCoMo, as part of its effort to leverage TTSL’s continued growth and development, is participating in TTSL’s management by providing human resources and technical assistance to help realise improved network quality and the possible introduction of leading-edge value-added services.

Related stories at

• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Tata-Tele-to-roll-out-GSM-services-by-month-end–/articleshow/4642325.cms
• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Tata-Tele-announces-launch-of-GSM-services/articleshow/4639383.cms
• http://www.ciol.com/technology/mobility/news-reports/tata-tele-enters-gsm-service/10609120795/0/
• http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tata-tele-announces-launch-of-gsm-services/474261/
• http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/06/11/stories/2009061150940400.htm
• http://www.ciol.com/technology/mobility/news-reports/after-cdma-tata-tele-to-foray-into-gsm/4609120570/0/

(Refers to Lucent, Motorola and ECI)

France Telecom & Telstra in talks with Maxis to buy minority stake in Aircel

10 Jun 2009, 0047 hrs IST, Rashmi Pratap & Boby Kurian, ET Bureau

MUMBAI | BANGALORE: France Telecom and Telstra of Australia are in talks with Malaysia’s Maxis Communication to buy a minority stake in Indian telecom operator Aircel, in yet another sign that the ongoing slowdown and credit crunch are having a negligible impact on deal activity in the telecom sector.

The talks between the two overseas players and Maxis revolve around France Tele buying a 20-25% stake in Aircel, a dominant player in Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Aircel, which is one of the major regional players in India, is in the midst of a $5-billion expansion plan that will see it becoming a pan-India player.

Meanwhile, Saudi Telecom, which owns 25% in Aircel parent Maxis, is likely to increase its stake in the company to 35% for about $1 billion. The money from the sale of Maxis’ stake will also be used to invest in Aircel. Goldman Sachs is advising Saudi Telecom in its transaction with Maxis. The deal with Saudi Telecom is expected to be completed within a month.

Estimates of the valuation of Aircel, which has a subscriber base of 19.6 million, vary between $7 billion and $8 billion. France Tele, which is not looking to buy a majority stake, will end up paying about $1.4-2 billion if the deal goes through at this valuation, people close to the development said.

The Indian telecom sector is perhaps one of the few sectors in the economy that is still witnessing strong M&A deal activity despite an economic slowdown. In the past 10 months, about $5 billion of deals have been concluded, including a mega $2.7-billion transaction that saw Japanese giant NTT DoCoMo buying 26% in Tata Teleservices.

Indian telecom companies, too, are growing at a scorching pace with monthly subscriber additions rising to more than 10 million a month. At this rate, Indian subscriber base is expected to leap past the 500 million mark in double quick time.

Aircel on course to widen pan-India reach by June 2010

The continued high growth is of great interest to foreign investors. Impending developments such as auction of spectrum for 3G (third generation) and broadband wireless access (BWA), besides the entry of MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators), offer further growth opportunities,” said Salil Pitale, head (telecom & media), at Enam Investment Banking.

For France Telecom, Europe’s third-largest phone company which owns the Orange brand, it will be an opportunity to re-enter the world’s fastest growing telecom as it faces a slowdown in its home turf and in other mature markets.

In response to an e-mail, an Aircel spokesperson said, “We are not aware of any discussions with France Telecom about this matter. Maxis Communications and its partners remain firmly committed to the accelerated growth and development of Aircel to be a successful pan-India operator.” A France Telecom spokesperson said, “We do not comment on market rumours.”

France Telecom first approached Maxis in August last year, just before the global market meltdown. “At that time, it was also in talks with Tata Teleservices (TTSL). Negotiations with Maxis were revived after NTT DoCoMo clinched the deal with TTSL,” a person familiar with the discussions told ET.

Maxis was also in talks with AT&T last year for selling a similar stake, but the deal could not go through because of differences in valuation. Talks between France Tele are still at a preliminary stage and the deal may also fall through because of Maxis’ insistence that the prospective investor also purchase a small stake from Maxis. France Tele, on the other hand, wants the investment to go into the company, that is Aircel, and is not keen on buying directly from Maxis.

Maxis owns 74% in Aircel while the rest is held by Chennai-based Reddy family, promoters of Apollo Hospitals. France Tele had held a stake in Mumbai-based BPL Mobile for many years before exiting in 2003. In 2007, its group company Orange Business Services acquired GTL’s enterprise and managed services division. Subsequently, it bagged NLD and ILD licences in India. A stake in a mobile firm now will complete France Telecom’s India story.

Aircel is currently in a money-guzzling mode, with the target to complete pan-India footprint by June next year. Ananda Krishnan, the owner of Maxis, also needs money to pump into Natrindo Telepon Seluler, a telecom firm in Indonesia which has a 3G licence. Plus, he bought out NTT DoCoMo from Sri Lanka Telecom in 2007 and that business also requires continued investments.

In a bid to fund these plans, Ananda delisted Maxis in June 2007 in a $12-billion deal and within days, he sold 25% of it to Saudi Telecom for over $3 billion. Due to this, Saudi Telecom has an effective 18.5% stake in Aircel. Dilution of another 25% in Aircel will help Ananda’s Maxis raise around $2 billion at a time when global credit scenario is not very positive.

At the same time, India’s telecom growth story continues to attract international investor interest, with all the major telcos making a beeline for India. This is despite the presence of 12 players and entry of four more telcos later this year. For Ananda, stake sale could be an opportunity to raise money without giving any controlling rights.

Low-profile billionaire Ananda Krishnan, whose business empire stretches from telecom and media to power and construction, is known for buying and selling businesses. In May last year, he sold Excel, the giant exhibition venue in London’s Docklands, for around $230 million, to a group backed by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. He then bought a 20% stake in British regional newspaper chain Johnston Press and is widely believed to be interested in setting up a global media empire.

CDMA group sees 100 m new subscribers in India

Thomas K Thomas on The Hindu Business Line on June 9, 2009

New Delhi, June 8 Notwithstanding the fact that there are more number of operators moving towards offering GSM-based mobile services, the CDMA Development Group (CDG) has projected that India will have 100 million new CDMA subscribers over the next two years if operators are given adequate spectrum.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Perry LaForge, Chairman of the CDG, said, “We think the CDMA subscriber base will grow another 100 million in two years. Both Tata Tele Services and Reliance Communications have reiterated their strong commitment to CDMA. They have been clear that the decision to implement GSM was really a matter of necessity because they do not have visibility as to when and what spectrum they will receive for CDMA. This situation needs to be corrected so that these operators can continue to grow wireless communications in this market. CDMA will flourish here in India if spectrum is provided.”

There are 100 million CDMA subscribers currently with Reliance Communications and Tata Tele both of whom are rolling out GSM services as well. Among the new players only Sistema Shyam has chosen to adopt the CDMA technology.

‘Faster growth than GSM’

Mr Laforge said the growth of CDMA has been much faster than GSM. “CDMA started years after GSM launched (GSM started in 1995). After seven years GSM reached 10 million subscribers. CDMA launched in 2003 and by 2004 reached 10 million subscribers and by 2007, 50 million subscribers — the fastest of all technologies to reach 50 million subscribers. We have now reached the 100 million mark just two years later. This is remarkable growth and CDMA operators have achieved 25 per cent of the market with just two operators competing against entrenched operators.”

However, Mr LaForge said, for this growth to continue, operators will need to have spectrum to pursue competition on a level playing field with GSM counterparts.

Mr LaForge said CDMA operators are better positioned to offer broadband services. “With high-speed wireless Internet access now a reality in CDMA with advanced wireless broadband services such as Reliance’s Broadband Netconnect+ and Photon Plus Services offered by Tatas, we see operators continuing to offer more devices, more services while improving their average revenue per subscriber. In many cases, the top wireless broadband operators in the world, in terms of performance, are CDMA operators. Examples include KDDI and Verizon. We believe this will continue to fuel CDMA growth here in India,” said Mr LaForge.

Telcos set sights on the Net

Thomas K Thomas on The Hindu Business Line on June 6, 2009

New Delhi, June 5 With social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Second Life drawing Internet users, telecom operators in India are cashing in on their popularity by launching brand awareness campaigns and forming product-related communities on these sites.

Bharti Airtel, for instance, has launched a campaign on both Facebook and Twitter to popularise its virtual calling card service among Non-Resident Indians in the US, the UK, Singapore and Canada. The product, called CallHome, allows users to make calls to India at one cent.

While advertising in traditional media is an expensive proposition considering that the product is targeted at a specific community, the social networking sites offer a free platform for companies such as Airtel.

Mr Syed Safawi, Executive Director, Bharti Airtel Ltd, says, “Brand’s research indicated that while the reach of ethnic media amongst NRIs was not more than 50 per cent, the community is highly networked online and word of mouth plays a key role in building brand awareness and consideration. Armed with this insight, Airtel CallHome is increasingly focusing on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to become a part of everyday lives of NRIs via a surround effect.”

While Airtel has over 2,000 members on its Facebook community, more than 800 consumers follow Airtel on Twitter.

According to Mr Safawi, this is only a start and Airtel will soon use the media to address Indian subscribers also. “The media is non-obtrusive and helps build our brand totally through word of mouth. It also helps us interact with the consumers and get feedback on what they want,” says Mr Safawi.

Virtual island

Tata Teleservices is another company that has taken its brand campaign into the virtual world, by becoming the first Indian telecom operator to enter the Second Life community.

The company has created a virtual island on this community wherein consumers can get a feel of all the products available under the Tata Indicom brand in addition to playing games, songs and other interactive programs.

Tata Teleservices Ltd’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Lloyd Mathias, said. “The digital world is evolving at a fantastic pace — cutting across geographical and cultural barriers — and we firmly believe that the virtual world has a huge outreach potential for businesses. We feel our association with Second Life will redefine the concept of outreach and take digital interactivity to the next level — for this will allow Tata Indicom to engage with the growing digital audience in a manner that is relevant to them.”

In this initiative, Tata Indicom’s brand ambassadors will also be present in their virtual avatars, engaging with visitors in an interactive forum.

DoT looks for new auditor for Tata Tele

The Hindu Business Line on June 5, 2009

New Delhi, June 4 The Department of Telecom has decided to change the auditor appointed to examine the account books of Tata Teleservices.

The auditor was appointed to check if the company was paying all the fees and levies as per DoT norms.

The auditor is being changed after it was declared by the company that there was an existing relationship with Tata Group as a consultant.

DoT has sought a fresh list of approved accountants from the Comptroller and Auditor General.

COAI Gets New Executive Council For 2009-10

From http://www.efytimes.com on June 02, 2009

Tuesday, June 02, 2009: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the main telecom industry lobby group of India, has announced a new executive council which has taken over the reins of the industry association. Suneeta Reddy, chairperson, Aircel Ltd and vice chairperson, COAI has been appointed as chairperson of COAI. Also Sanjay Kapoor, deputy CEO, Bharti Airtel has now become the vice chairperson of COAI for 2009-10.

During the COAI Annual General Meeting held on 29 May 2009 at New Delhi, outgoing chairman Asim Ghosh thanked the members for their unwavering support during his tenure as chairman. He reminisced fondly about his long association with the industry and the several challenges that the industry had faced and overcome in the last decade.

Ghosh noted that 2008 was a landmark year for the Indian industry as it had reached global scale. He pointed out that the job was never done and there would always be challenges ahead. He thanked Suneeta Ready for her support as vice chairperson, the executive council and the secretariat team for their efforts and contributions and wished them all the very best for the future.

Suneeta Ready, the chairperson elect, thanked the members for the trust and faith reposed in her. She emphasised that COAI had always stood for inclusive growth. She pointed out that the agenda for industry for the next 12 months included ensuring availability of adequate 2G spectrum, an early auction of 3G and BWA spectrum to facilitate the leap to the next generation of services, bridging of the digital divide, improving the financial viability of the industry and making it globally competitive.

Suneeta pointed out that with the imminent introduction of mobile number portability, the SIM card would become like a vote that could be exercised anytime by the consumers, and the industry should make all efforts to ensure that mobile is viewed as a service that adds value to the consumers lives.

The main members of COAI are: Aircel Ltd, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Datacom Solutions Pvt Ltd, Idea Cellular Ltd, Loop Mobile Ltd, Reliance Telecom Ltd, S Tel Pvt Ltd, Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, Tata Teleservices Ltd, Unitech Wireless Pvt Ltd and Vodafone Essar Ltd.

Story at Financial Express on 30 May, 2009

New Delhi: The COAI Annual General Meeting held at New Delhi saw a smooth transition with the new Executive Council taking over the reins of the industry association.

The event saw the General Body ratify the nominations of Ms. Suneeta Reddy, Chairperson Aircel Ltd. and Vice Chairperson, COAI as Chairperson, COAI and Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, Deputy CEO, Bharti Airtel as Vice Chairperson of COAI for 2009-2010.

The nominations for the Executive Council were also ratified by the General Body.

Outgoing Chairman, Mr. Asim Ghosh thanked the members for their unwavering support during his tenure as Chairman. He reminisced fondly about his long association with the industry and the several challenges that the industry had faced and overcome in the last decade. He also noted how 2008 was a landmark year for the Indian industry as it had reached global scale. He pointed out that the job was never done and there would always be challenges ahead.

TTSL to launch services on GSM platform shortly

From http://www.topnews.in Submitted by Darpana Kutty on Tue, 06/02/2009 – 05:07

The telecommunication company of the Tata Group – Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) is all set to launch services on GSM platform shortly. The TTSL is compelled to provide services on the GSM platform, due to the lack of a “spectrum roadmap for code division multiple access (CDMA) operators and the limited allocation of airwaves”.

The Managing Director of TTSL, Anil Sardana says, “If one can’t grow, one will have to find alternative means to exist. It is the entire policy around allocation of spectrum that caused us to look at other means.”

Sardana explains that spectrum means the airwaves through which the communication signals travel. Spectrum is very important for telecom operators. Sardana reveals, “In the Indian situation, we need to keep the aspect of spectrum availability in mind. The spectrum allocation for CDMA operators is only 800 MHz and no extra spectrum is available beyond what is already allocated to us. Since there is no roadmap, it is from that compulsion that one has to look at alternatives to grow.”

One of the CDMA giants, TTSL, along with Reliance Communications (RCOM), took the first step towards the GSM by applying for dual technology licences in late 2007. The TTSL is set to start its GSM operations shortly, while RCom has already commenced GSM services in India.

The TTSL operates under the brand name “Tata Indicom” in several circles of India. The telephony services of the company include mobile, fixed wireless phones (FWP), public telephone booths and wireline services. The company also provides broadband data network and application services including leased lines, DSL, Wi-Fi, ethernet, managed gateway services and web conferencing services. The company has two unified access (basic + cellular) services licences (UASL) – one for Mumbai Metro and the other for the entire Maharashtra and Goa.

Tata Tele to now enter GSM space

2 Jun 2009, 0151 hrs IST, Rashmi Pratap, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: For the Tatas, offering mobile services on the global system for mobile (GSM) platform is a “compulsion” and not a choice. The absence of spectrum roadmap for code division multiple access (CDMA) operators and the limited allocation of airwaves has forced Tata Teleservices (TTSL), the group’s flagship telecom company, to offer services on the GSM platform as well.

“If one can’t grow, one will have to find alternative means to exist. It is the entire policy around allocation of spectrum that caused us to look at other means,” TTSL MD Anil Sardana told ET.

Spectrum refers to airwaves on which the communications signals travel and it is the raw material for operators. “In the Indian situation, we need to keep the aspect of spectrum availability in mind. The spectrum allocation for CDMA operators is only 800 MHz and no extra spectrum is available beyond what is already allocated to us. Since there is no roadmap, it is from that compulsion that one has to look at alternatives to grow,” he added.

GSM and CDMA are rival technology platforms for offering voice and data services. CDMA heavyweights, Reliance Communications (RCOM) and TTSL, joined the GSM bandwagon by applying for dual technology licences in late 2007. While RCOM has already rolled out GSM services across India, Tatas are slated to start operations in a few weeks.

Incorporated in 1996, TTSL was the first to launch CDMA mobile services in India with a foray into the Andhra Pradesh circle.

“It was a conscious and deliberate decision and it was predicated largely on data capabilities of CDMA. We continue to be committed to CDMA,” said Mukund Govind Rajan, MD, TTSL (Maharashtra), the listed arm of TTSL offering services in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra.

In March, TTML rolled out ‘Photon’, its high-speed Internet service offering speeds of up to 18mbps. Due to efficient data services, CDMA players witness higher contribution to reveunes from data. For TTSL, data brought in 10% of the revenues in FY08 and it grew to 14% in FY09. For GSM operators, the figure is an average of around 9%.

Dr Rajan said, “I do believe that India is getting ready for many of those data services and the choice of CDMA platform was right, but the other issue of availability of essential raw material — spectrum — has been a question mark.”

According to Mr Sardana, it is often argued that CDMA is more efficient and requires half the spectrum compared to GSM. “But seeing from a shareholders perspective, one has to build double the networks to sustain and that is a cost both in terms of capex and opex. Therefore, efficiency is no arguement; it’s a perpetual pain that is experienced,” he said.

“We spend twice in terms of rollout and its hurts shareholders’ interest. We have discussed it with every government committee that was set up to look into spectrum,” Mr Sardana added.

Tata Indicom ties-up with Yahoo! India

From http://www.ciol.com/ on 26 May 2009

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Telecom firm Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) announced that it had entered into an agreement with Yahoo! India for providing online user interface to all Tata Indicom customers, an agency report says.

As part of the partnership, a co-branded Yahoo! India website would serve as the default homepage across all Tata Indicom internet access devices.

Lloyd Mathias, chief marketing officer, TTSL, said: “This alliance will allow Yahoo! to reach a wider audience in the internet and digital spaces, and gain access to a captive user base to create not only a deeper connection with users, but also deliver a seamless user experience across platforms.”

The partnership would enable Yahoo! India to reach out directly to Tata Indicom internet subscribers and the users would be able to find relevant information on services like bill payment, tariff plans and promotions on the portal, the statement said.

MTNL has maximum spectrum at 12.4 Mhz in Delhi, Mumbai

19 May 2009, 1902 hrs IST, PTI on www.economictimes.com

NEW DELHI: State-run MTNL has received the highest amount of spectrum in Delhi and Mumbai at 12.4 Mhz as on March 2009 while private GSM operators Bharti and Vodafone are not far behind at 10 Mhz each in the same period.

Bharti and Vodafone have 10 Mhz each in Delhi. But most importantly, the private operators have got 8 Mhz each in the key 900 Mhz band while MTNL has got 6.2 Mhz on the same band. 900 Mhz is the most efficient band which can accommodate large chunk of subscribers. As per the data compiled by the Department of Telecom’s spectrum division, Idea has got 8 Mhz of spectrum on 1800 Mhz band in Delhi.

In Mumbai, MTNL has got 12.4 Mhz of spectrum with 6.2 Mhz each on the 900 and 1800 Mhz band while Vodafone has got 10.2 Mhz followed by BPL at 10 Mhz and Bharti at 9.2 Mhz. Host of new operators including Swan, Datacom, Unitech and TTSL have got 4.4 Mhz each.

BSNL holds 10 Mhz of spectrum in most of the circles it operate such as Kolkata, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil (Chennai), Kerala, Haryana, UP (East & West), Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, North East, Jammu & Kashmir.

Tata Teleservices to launch wireless broadband in Guj

BS Reporter / Mumbai/ Ahmedabad May 19, 2009, 0:37 IST

After BSNL announced its new offering of high speed WiMAX broadband services in Gujarat, now Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) is set to follow suit. The telecom operator plans to launch high speed wireless broadband services in Ahmedabad by next month.

Refusing to divulge further details about the offering, Naveen Bhasin, chief operating officer (Gujarat circle) of TTSL said, “We would be launching a wireless broadband service by June in Ahmedabad. The product, Photon Plus, is part of our Photon family, a new set of services that will offer wireline, wireless and wireless broadband services.”

While the company has already introduced a wireless internet product, Photon USB Modem in the market, it is now strengthening its presence in internet segment. The telecom operator launched ‘Photon Pro’, a high speed wireline broadband service, in Ahmedabad that will cater to both individual and enterprise clients of TTSL.

The service, which is being launched in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Bangalore initially, is said to offer the highest speed of 18 mbps for the first time in the country. “For economies of scale, today most companies are switching to unified communication services and require VoIP and other communication systems for which one needs uninterrupted high speed internet data and voice services. Photon Pro will deliver such a speed on wireline network,” said Bhasin.

TTSL will be offering two separate tariff plans for individuals and enterprises. The tariff plans range from Rs 450 per month to Rs 9,000 per month.