Indian Operator Granted Additional CDMA Radio Spectrum

Russia's Sistema has announced that it's Indian subsidiary, Shyam Telelink has received radio frequencies under CDMA 800 MHz in four additional Indian circles. As a result, Shyam Telelink now has spectrum in 19 telecommunications circles.

The Department of Telecommunications of India has allocated the CDMA 800 MHz radio frequencies in four Indian circles, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kolkata and Orissa, which comprise 14.1% of Indian population (159.6 million people). Altogether Shyam Telelink now has spectrum in 19 telecommunications circles, covering 27 Indian states with a population of 1,066.5 million people (which comprise around 94.5% of Indian population).

India is divided into 23 major telecommunications circles based on geography, and service providers need licenses to operate in each of the circles.

Shyam Telelink, a unit of Shyam Telecom Ltd., recently got the Unified Access Service License, or UASL, which allows the company to offer telecoms services throughout the country.

Sistema guaranteed US$520 million of the total US$630 million that was paid for obtaining the licenses.

Posted to the site on 18th June 2008