- November 2nd, 2007
- 9:32 am
The Board of VSNL has approved a proposal to change the name of the company to Tata Communications Limited. The new name and identity will, it is hoped, help the company ‘to leverage the brand equity that has come to be associated with the Tata Group’. According to Mr Srinath, Managing Director and CEO of VSNL: ‘The change in the company’s name is a major step in our commitment to customers, partners and stakeholders. Tata Communications reiterates a focus on the global communications business where we are a major player; at the same time, it reflects our strong heritage and leadership position in India.’
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
South Africa’s new operator Neotel has agreed to join the Seacom international subsea cable project. Neotel has signed a Cable Development Agreement with Seacom for landing and commercial operations of the international cable system in South Africa. The Seacom project is one of several underway aimed at improving international connectivity and lowering bandwidth costs in Africa. It will connect south and east Africa to India and Europe, with a capacity of 1.28 Tbps. Neotel will own the cable landing station and all facilities within the South African territory and open the system for access by all operators. It will also facilitate a backhaul network to its point of presence in Johannesburg, run in connection with its shareholder and international carrier VSNL. Seacom expects to have the system operational in early 2009.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Indian telco Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) is close to completing a purchase of Sri Lankan fixed-wireless operator Suntel, according to regional press reports. The NYSE-listed state-run operator has sent a high-level delegation to conduct due diligence on the company, which is a prerequisite to formalise the deal, company sources said. MTNL is believed to have emerged as the highest bidder for Suntel with a bid of between USD160 million and USD180 million. Colombo-based Suntel offers fixed line services based on CDMA WiLL technology, and claimed around 300,000 WiLL lines in service at the end of March 2007. All its key shareholders want to exit, sources said. Nordic telco TeliaSonera is Suntel’s top shareholder with a 55% stake via holding vehicle Overseas Telecom. The remaining shares are held by Sri Lanka’s Metrocorp, the National Development Bank of Sri Lanka, Townsend Ltd of Hong Kong and International Finance Corporation. MTNL’s only existing overseas telecoms venture is in Mauritius, where it offers fixed line and mobile services as Mahanagar Telephone (Mauritius). Three other bidders were previously reported to be in the final stage of the bidding process for Suntel: Malaysia Telekom, Sri Lankan blue chip conglomerate John Keells Holdings and another Indian telco, VSNL.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
VSNL signs a deal with Star Hub of Singapore to launch international wireless broadband roaming services. The agreement makes VSNL the first Indian service provider to associate with an international operator.
Malaysian e-payment firm MobilityOne plans to develop and increase its distribution points from its current 3,000 terminals. The firm said it will use funds generated from its recent listing for the expansion project.
Shanghai-based Wavicle Wireless Technologies obtains an investment of $10 million from US private equity firm Warburg Pincus. The firm said the fund will be used for its R&D efforts in China’s TD-SCDMA industry
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Indian operator VSNL will set up 2,000 base stations across India that will enable wireless internet access, reports the Times of India. The company will spend INR 4.5 million over the next two years for the project that will see services being rolled out to enterprise customers in five cities this year. Srinivas Addepalli, head of corporate strategy at VSNL, said WiMAX is expected to help the company expand its market share in the business internet segment. VSNL started work on a pilot project a couple of months ago in Bangalore, where it has now launched its first commercial services. In the next three months, the company will launch its services in Mumbai and New Delhi. The plan, when fully implemented, will cover 120 cities and towns across the country. The WiMAX stations will solve the problem of last mile connectivity in difficult-to-access sites in business districts.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
What’s holding back WiMax in India: As per this story in the Mint, the spectrum policy imposes a recurring charge on ISPs for base stations, thus making it viable to target only volume users. Expecting a change in policy to a revenue-share model, operators are setting up wireless infrastructure:
– Reliance Communications plans to have 3000 base stations in 25 cities by end 2007, and plans to launch services in Pune and Bangalore in July. Expected expenditure is around $50 million.
– VSNL is setting up 1300 broadband towers in five cities. According to CIOL, VSNL has launched today, WiMax services for enterprises in Bangalore.
– Sify has plans to put up wireless transmitters on top of its retail outlets.
Now all of this, when no single standard for WiMax has been decided? Also, it’s the telco’s who do not have the last mile access, unlike BSNL and MTNL, who are adopting these new technologies - would they invest in wireless infrastructure if they did have last mile access? I’m not sure of how much to read into some of these announcements. If you remember, CP in Delhi was supposed to be WiFi’ed, with free Internet access, by this January. Nothing so far.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL) has launched WiMAX services in India, the company announced to the Bombay Stock Exchange. It is offering WiMAX services in Bangalore for enterprise customers. VSNL claims to be the first company to provide WiMAX services in India. It plans to extend the network to around 120 cities for enterprise customers and to 5 cities for retail customers by end of the current FY.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
VSNL has announced the commencement of WiMAX services for enterprise customers in Bangalore. The operator claims it is the first launch of WiMAX in India. According to VSNL President (Global Data and Mobility Solution) Vinod Kumar, the WiMAX network will be extended to about 120 cities for enterprise customers and five cities for retail customers by the end of the current financial year.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
- January 15th, 2007
- 1:07 pm
Telegeography writes…India’s leading international telecoms provider Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is in talks to buy Sri Lankan fixed line operator Suntel for an undisclosed sum, according to local newspaper the Economic Times. VSNL recently won international long-distance (ILD) and ISP licences in Sri Lanka, and is hoping to expand its existing inbound carrier business through acquisitions to become a full-service telecoms provider on the island.
Suntel had an estimated 250,000 wireless in the local loop (WiLL) subscribers at the end of 2006. Its portfolio includes basic telephony, pre-paid voice services, corporate data solutions, ISDN, dial-up internet access and xDSL lines. Suntel’s biggest shareholder is Nordic telco TeliaSonera, which holds a 55% stake via holding company Overseas Telecom AB. The remaining shares are split between Sri Lanka’s Metrocorp, the National Development Bank of Sri Lanka, Townsend Ltd of Hong Kong and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group). Suntel’s net profit for the six months to 30 June 2006 dipped by LKR93 million (USD850,000) year-on-year to LKR290 million (USD2.67 million), while revenues virtually doubled to LKR3.31 billion (USD30.5 million) from LKR1.96 billion a year earlier.
VSNL earns around three-quarters of its revenue abroad. The Tata Group subsidiary is a co-owner of Neotel, South Africa’s second national operator, and has acquired Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd and Tyco International’s global submarine fibre-optic cable network. On its Sri Lankan strategy, a VSNL executive said: ‘VSNL entered Sri Lanka in 2003 and views it as an important, growing market. The company’s ILD voice and data services have been well received and it plans to leverage its success in this market.’
Wireless Mobile Telecom
- September 23rd, 2006
- 7:30 am
| The Tata group-controlled Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL) has stated that Reliance Communications’ allegations against it contain “false and disparaging imputations”, which were not “justified or supported by facts”. |
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| VSNL has also alleged of “malafide” intent by Reliance Communications and its subsidiary Flag Telecom, under the guise of a corporate announcement to prejudice and harm VSNL’s reputation. |
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| In a filing with the BSE late yesterday night, VSNL said announcements made by Reliance Communications alleging monopolistic and anti-competitive practices by VSNL indicated a clear malafide on the part of Flag Telecom. |
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| “Repeated statements made by Flag Telecom through its holding company Reliance Communications that VSNL was acting or engaging in alleged monopolistic and anti-competitive practices appear to have been made with sole intent to bring disrepute to VSNL. |
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| The allegation that ultimate users of international capacity will be harmed due to exorbitant prices is patently false and only made to create the facade of public concern,” it said. |
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It also said the allegation that VSNL was in “violation of its commitment is incorrect”. The Tata company also said it was fully-compliant with its obligation to perform the award.
Source- http://www.business-standard.com
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Technorati : Mobile Reliance Communications, Tata, VSNL
Ice Rocket : Mobile Reliance Communications, Tata, VSNL
VSNL to be renamed Tata Telecommunications (India)
