Tata group firm Tata Teleservices, the country's second largest CDMA mobile operator, is hoping to start the GSM based mobile services by the end of 2009 and has already placed equipment orders for the same.

“We have already placed orders for equipment with Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei for core network and NEC for transmission network. Considering the time when we got spectrum, we are rolling out our services and hope to be in all the circles for our GSM services by the end of 2009,” TTSL managing director Mr Anil Sardana said today.

The operator, which has bagged GSM spectrum for 13 circles, is expecting spectrum for six more circles ~ Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, UP (East) and rest of West Bengal.

The company had earlier announced a $2 billion investment for the GSM foray. Tata's GSM service launch is being keenly awaited as rival CDMA operator RCom has also launched the GSM services on Sunday in Mumbai.

CDMA companies jumped to GSM technology after the government allowed companies with unified access service licence to deploy mixed technologies ~ CDMA and GSM.

It would roll out GSM services in 19 circles out of the 22, for which it has received cross-over telecom licences. For the rest three circles ~ North East, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, it has only CDMA licence.

Source:thestatesman