Tata Tele Plans for Services in Karnataka Announced

Tata Teleservices, the private basic telecom service provider for Andhra Pradesh, has announced plans to roll out their services in Karnataka by mid 2002. The Company's roll out plans in Karnataka will be in accordance with the Short Distance Charging Areas (SDCA) obligations of the license covering almost the entire state in the first five years. The Company will not only be rolling out services in key cities like Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore and Hubli but also other semi-urban towns such as Mandya, Shimoga, Davangere, Karwar and Gokak and rural areas like Hebre and Siddapur. Tata Teleservices will be using advanced technology aimed at facilitating quick and quality roll out. The Company also plans to use advanced CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) 3G 1X technology, demonstrating the Company's leadership position in innovations.

Speaking on the occasion, S Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Tata Teleservices, said, "We have always laid thrust on innovations and bring the benefits of the latest technology to our customers. We are heralding the convergence era in the country by investing in 3G 1X CDMA wireless technology and providing broadband services. Our network would be the prime enabler of IT services in the state and we would be partners in the progress of meeting the ambitious targets for IT exports in the state".Operations of TATA Teleservices in the State of Karnataka is likely to create employment opportunities (direct and indirect) for over 8,000 people in the first five years across various categories including executives with professional qualifications; self-employment and indirect opportunities for semi-skilled. Investments in Karnataka during the initial roll out period are expected to be substantially high. The Company plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore over the first ten years. Tata Teleservices had received the license in 1997 to offer basic services in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Within two years of operations, the Company has extended services to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Vijayawada and Eluru and has over 86,000 customers. By the end of the current fiscal year, the Company would have invested Rs 1,600 crore