NEW DELHI, India- Tata Teleservices has become the first private basic service operator in India to provide limited mobility services using CDMA technology. The company operates in the Andhra Pradesh telecom circle and is one of six private operators licensed in six circles two years ago.
The service, operating under the brand name of TATA mobitel, will be available to customers in geographical areas defined as “short distance charging areas” in a radius of 20 kilometers to 40 kilometers. It is referred to as limited mobility, as it does not have the roaming facility offered by a cellular phone. Since it is defined as a basic phone, it attracts low call charges, which are applicable to basic fixed phones.
Tata Teleservices plans to provide this service with a fixed monthly rental of around $13, and the customer is charged only 3 cents per three minutes for outgoing calls. All incoming calls are free.
Currently, the handsets are priced around $211. In addition to the service charges, the company will charge an activation fee of $23. Customers also have the benefits of value-added services like call forwarding, call waiting and three-way conferencing. The service will be initially available in two cities, Hyderabad and Vijayawada, a company press release said.
No new mobile licenses in China this year
BEIJING-China’s Minister of Information Industry Wu Jichuan told reporters at the annual session of the National People’s Congress that his ministry has no plans to issue new mobile licenses this year.
Only two operators, China Mobile and China Unicom, are licensed to operate mobile services in China, but China Telecom, the country’s major fixed-line operator, is also eager to expand into cellular services ahead of an initial public offering abroad. The company wants to raise $8 million to $10 million in what would become Asia’s largest-ever IPO outside Japan.
Singapore reduces 3G license fees
SINGAPORE-The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore released details of the final bid package for its third-generation license auction to be held in April, reducing the reserve price from $85.4 million to $57 million. In addition, the nationwide network rollout requirement has been delayed one year from Dec. 31, 2003, to Dec. 31, 2004.
IDA said it made the adjustments based on comments it received from the industry. “This adjustment will facilitate the successful rollout of 3G services, which is strategic to Singapore’s ambitions to be an Asian leader in mobile communications,” IDA said.
The initial reserve price was set last year. “However, much has changed in the global telecoms industry since then,” said Yeo Cheow Tong, IDA minister for communications and information technology. “Market sentiment has weakened considerably, and there is greater uncertainty over the business case for 3G. …The assessment is that the market value of 3G licenses has dropped considerably.”
Interested parties must submit their applications by March 26. IDA will announce the list of eligible bidders by April 2.
