NEW DELHI, India—Government-owned fixed-line and GSM operator in New Delhi and Mumbai, MTNL, has launched its wireless local loop (WLL) “limited mobility” service in Delhi. The service has been named Garuda.
MTNL, which offers its GSM service under the brand name Dolphin, has a WLL network capacity of 50,000 lines. About 15,000 connections will be given “limited mobility” service, while the rest will be fixed wireless. Registration for the new connections in Delhi has started, while in Mumbai the service will begin by the end of December. Subscribers will have to deposit 10,000 rupees (US$208) with MTNL for CDMA handsets.
According to MTNL Chairman and Managing Director Narendar Sharma, Garuda will not eat into the Dolphin market because the two services cater to different market segments. “While GSM is essentially for very high-end users, WLL is for high voice users who do not want frills like roaming or SMS,” said Sharma.
Meanwhile, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to remove the floor price of 450 rupees (US$9.40) on the monthly rental, while retaining the ceiling of 550 rupees (US$11.50) for WLL phones.
