Modi Telstra Conducts Intl Roaming Tests Successfully

Modi Telstra, cellular service provider for Calcutta, has successfully conducted international automatic roaming tests with the networks of Singapore Telecom and Telstra, Australia, informed sources told Business Standard.

With the groundwork ready, the chances of Modi Telstra entering into an international automatic roaming pact with the two foreign firms in the future has greatly been enhanced. A test report in this regard has also been submitted to the TEC.

However, the formal clearance from the DoT and the Reserve Bank of India will come only after some of the technical and vexed issues like revenue payment in dollars are sorted out.

 

Automatic roaming will enable a cell phone subscribers to make calls while abroad using the same cell phone number and without using any subscriber identification module(SIM) cards.

Modi Telstra also recently accepted the DoT confirmation letter for using its network for signalling links to provide national automatic roaming facilities in the future.

Modi Telstra, which remains the leading cellular operator in Calcutta is likely to be allocated additional GSM frequency bandwidth by the ministry of communications.

This bandwidth was first allocated to cellular operators in Mumbai and Delhi in February, 1997, by the union ministry of communications, sources in Modi Telstra said.

The international roaming services, PlaNet, which was launched early last month, has received encouraging response from subscribers, sources said. Modi Telstra has tied up with Omnipoint Communications, of the US, to provide the service in that country.

The Global System Mobile(GSM) standard, which has not been in use for long in the US, has witnessed a steady rise in users. Currently there are more than six lakh subscribers using the GSM systems in the US.

This figure is likely to cross the million mark by November 1997, according to Omnipoint Communications president, George Schmitt.

The interlinking of different signalling protocols took place in the US some time back enabling roaming access to GSM users abroad.

Currently at least 80 countries have adopted GSM as their national standard for digital cellular mobile systems. It is estimated that nearly 40 per cent of the traffic on GSM systems by 2000 will be through data services, which in turn will also fetch higher revenues.

GSM is implemented on the 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz band. GSM 900, DCS 1800, and PCS 1900 are implementations of the GSM standard on different frequency bands.Automatic roaming will enable a cell- phone subscriber to make calls while abroad using the domestic cellphone number and without using any subscriber identification module (SIM) cards