MTS plans Rs 130 cr capex in state, TN

Provides high speed mobile broadband in 40 towns across Tamil Nadu and 35 towns across Karnataka.

Sistema Shyam TeleServices, a joint venture between Russia’s Sistema and Indian firm Shyam Group, which is into telecom services under the brand MTS, plans to expand in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for an investment of around Rs 130 crore during 2011.

The company on Wednesday announced launch of its second seamless high speed data (HSD) connectivity in India, on the highway connecting Chennai and Bangalore. It added it is planning to expand data coverage between other regions, including small towns.

Cheenu Seshadri, chief strategy officer and COO, south and west regions, MTS India, said, The service would cater to data connectivity needs of industrial hubs between the two cities and the travellers on the go. We are planning to cover more areas, including highways and smaller towns with seamless HSD services in future. MTS India presently has around 13 million wireless subscribers.

It has also announced new tariff plans for customers tra-veling everyday between the two cities. Presently, MTS provides High Speed Mobile Broadband services in around 40 towns across Tamil Nadu and 35 towns across Karnataka.

The company has so far invested around $3 billion in India and would continue to invest to expand data connectivity services, he added.

It is planning to launch two to five phones in India every quarter in future, in the price range of Rs 3,000 to Rs 20,000 a handset, as part of expanding its data connectivity service. It has recently announced launch of two affordable android phones in India.

While the manufacturing of phones would be outsourced, the company plans to leverage the products as a strategy to increase the reach of its services to the customers.

The company earlier launched the HSD connectivity services in the 265 km long Delhi-Jaipur highway.