Tata Indicom to launch intl roaming service

Come April, private sector telecom service provider, Tata Indicom, will be launching an international roaming service "� One World-One Number "� for all its post-paid CDMA customers across 20 circles.

This service will enable the use of both CDMA and GSM services using a single T-SIM product for international roaming. This means that users will not have to change their number to switch between two networks freely and will be able to take advantage of zone-based tariffs.

Addressing the media, Darryl Green, chief executive officer of Tata Teleservices, said, "With the launch of One World-One Number, we will become the first telecom service provider in the world to launch a single T-SIM card for international roaming. This will provide seamless access of different networks to our customers in 186 countries via 291 GSM roaming partners and five CDMA partners."

Tata Indicom will be announcing the tariff structure for this service at the time of the launch in April.

Meanwhile Tata Indicom is also looking at offering 3G wireless service sometime in future. "3G wireless technology interests us and we are looking at offering this service provided the government gives the required permission and spectrum for it," Green said.

Tata Indicom has a subscriber base of 8.5 million across India, with a national footprint across 2,511 towns. With regard to targets for increasing this base, Green said, "We will be shooting for 20 million subscribers and hope to touch 18 million at least."

The average revenue per user for the telecom service provider is "slightly less than Rs 500."

In Andhra Pradesh, Tata Indicom has crossed the one-million subscriber base mark and is looking at doubling this number within a year's time. "We cover 263 towns in Andhra Pradesh and will be adding 41 more in the next few weeks," Green said.