By IANS,
Hyderabad : Tata Docomo, joint venture between Tata Teleservices and NTT Docomo of Japan, completed the rollout of its GSM operations in south India with the formal launch in Andhra Pradesh Thursday.
Andhra Pradesh is the sixth circle where Tata Docomo has launched its GSM telephony operations.
Tata Teleservices managing director Anil Sardana told a news conference here that the pan-India rollout would be completed by October, for which the company has earmarked an investment of $2 billion.
During the last fortnight, Tata Docomo launched operations in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. With the launch in Andhra Pradesh, it has completed the south Indian rollout in three weeks.
Tata Docomo has also commenced operations in Orissa.
NTT Docomo, which has 26 percent stake in the company, will provide technological and service differentiation.
“NTT Docomo has provided technical inputs to make Tata Docomo GSM network world class,” said Toshinari Kunieda, senior vice-president and managing director of the japanese firm’s global business division, in a video message.
Sardana said the company would launch operations in all the 612 towns and 1,149 villages in Andhra Pradesh.
Tata Teleservices, with 36 million subscribers as May 31, got the GSM license for 19 circles and spectrum in 18 circles.
With a “pay for what you use” model, a pulse of one second and pricing of one paisa per second, Tata Docomo promises to bring a paradigm shift in the telecom experience for its customers.
“For other operators, a call of one second above two minute duration is a call for three minutes, but for us it will be 121 seconds,” Sardana said, and maintaining that 18 to 25 percent of subscribers pay more than what they use.