Shyam Tele gets radio frequencies

The firm migrated to unified access licence in November 2003 and has been providing basic as well as mobile telephony services in Rajasthan. STLL operates under the brand name "Rainbow" in Rajasthan, and offers voice, data and image services.

Sistema announced that Shyam Telelink Ltd had received radio frequencies under CDMA 800 MHz in four additional Indian circles. As a result, Shyam Telelink now has spectrum in 19 circles.

The Department of Telecommunications has allocated CDMA 800 MHz radio frequencies to Shyam Telelink, Sistema's subsidiary, in four Indian circles, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kolkata and Orissa, which comprise 14.1 per cent of the Indian population (159.6 million people).

Shyam Telelink now has spectrum in 19 circles, covering 27 states with a population of 1,066.5 million.

Sistema Group of Russia is the major stake holder in STLL. In September last year, Sistema acquired a 10 per cent stake in Shyam Telelink Ltd. This was followed by the signing of a share purchase agreement in October for the acquisition of an additional 41 per cent stake. The deal was closed in January, resulting in Sistema raising its stake to 51 per cent in STLL.

Sistema owns a 73.71 per cent stake in the company.

Sistema is the largest public diversified corporation in Russia and the CIS, which manages fast-growing companies operating in the consumer services sector.