AT

Bangalore, Nov 6 (UNI) The first Foreign Telecom Operator to operate in India under licence, AT&T Global Network Services India will become fully operational early 2007.

With a subscriber base between 350 to 400 AT&T which was the first foreign telecom operator to secure a new telecommunications licence under the Indian Government's revised policy on Foreign Direct Investment allowing upto 74 per cent foreign ownership has floated the Indian Joint venture with Mahindra Telecommunications Investment Private Ltd as its partner with 26 per cent stake.

Commending the Indian Government for taking this progressive approach, which was dsigned to attract higher levels of FDI as well as driving competition in the telecom sector to promote innovation, Company Senior Vice President John Finnegan told newsmen here today that AT&T was excited and honoured to become the first foreign operator in India to be granted a licence for operaitng National Long Distance and International Long Distance Telephony.

AT &T had been operating in India for over six years in partnership with VSNL. The licence would further strengthen AT&T's commitment to customers in India, Mr Finnegan said adding that initially the company would offer Virtual Private Network services to the enterprise class of customers, both national and multinational and would extent new suite of services in phases.

Mr Finnegan said that the existing relationship with VSNL would continue as the latter would provide the necessary bandwidth.

Mr Sanjiv Bhagat, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Global Network Services India, said the first priority would be to ensure seamless transition of customers to the new business.

He said during the first nine months of 2006 AT&T India operations saw revenue go up by 40 per cent and this trend would continue next year also.

Declining to come out with numbers on investment, Mr Finnegan said that India was considered a critical investment destination by AT&T in view of its high growth, along with China and Brazil.

UNI VK MSP RKN1436