Fixed Mobile Convergence

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), a joint venture between Sistema of Russia and the Shyam (News - Alert) Group of India, has launched its high-speed mobile broadband service, MBlaze, in seven towns of India's northwestern state of Rajasthan -- Alwar, Bhilwara, Ajmer, Bikaner, Kankroli, Banswar, Rajnagar.

This latest roll out extends the current MBlaze footprint to 15 towns across the state.

Officials with SSTL said that the company has formulated aggressive expansion plans and within the next 15 days, plans to extend its high-speed mobile broadband services to a total of 33 key towns across Rajasthan.

“MTS (News - Alert) is excited to expand its MBlaze network to seven more towns across Rajasthan. Our high speed mobile broadband service is now available in 15 towns in Rajasthan. In the next 15 days, we plan to take the count to 33 towns across the state,” said Sandeep Yadav, chief operating officer, Rajasthan circle, Sistema (News - Alert) Shyam Teleservices Ltd., while addressing a press conference.

Yadav said that the company has earmarked close to $5.45 million for expansion of the company’s data business across the state.

“This expansion is in line with our endeavor to make high speed mobile broadband service available to maximum number of customers in the shortest possible time,” he said.

Company officials said that as per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) December 2010 report, the broadband penetration in India stands at just 0.8 percent as against the Teledensity of 60.99 percent as of September 2010. This in-turn translates to a mere 10.3 million broadband connections by the end of 2010. The National Broadband Plan envisages provision of 160 million broadband connections including 60 million wireless broadband connections by the year 2014.

Hence, company officials said, there is a huge opportunity for the growth and proliferation of high-speed mobile broadband services in the country.

MTS provides high-speed mobile broadband services in over 100 Indian cities including the top five metros. The company is rapidly expanding its high speed data (HSD) network and currently addresses over 92 percent of data potential across India.

In October 2010, JSC Sitronics, a provider of telecommunications, IT and microelectronic solutions in Russia and the CIS, with a presence in other EEMEA markets, announced the signing of long-term contracts with Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL).

The Company said the $22 million contract has been signed to provide for the geographical expansion of the FORIS Billing and CRM system, implementation of the Signaling Transfer Point (STP) platform, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) solution, as well as Managed Service around the solution.

This came at a time when SSTL is in the process of expanding the footprint of MTS, the mobile telephony brand of the company across India.