MTS brand now in Karnataka – Roll out as per plan, more before year end
Bengaluru, India - October 28, 2009 - Mobile phone subscribers in Karnataka will now be able to call any number across Karnataka at a promotional offer of just half-a-paisa per second, with MTS, the mobile telephony services brand of Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd (SSTL), launching its services in the State. The new tariff will be an improvement on the already available “per second billing” offer introduced under MTS brand in other circles, which has become an industry norm. With the launch in Bengaluru, SSTL services under MTS brand are now available in 4 out of the 5 big metro cities of India. The Mumbai launch is imminent and with this launch, brand MTS will be presented in all the prominent metros of India before the end of the year with voice and data services. SSTL has shown it is fulfilling the roll-out commitment of more circles in a short span of time.
SSTL has a large high-speed mobile data services network in the South and, with this launch, has enlarged the MTS brand presence in South India. It offers the fastest internet data services -“MBlaze”; in Karnataka the MBlaze service will be available in Bengaluru, Mangalore, Belgaum and Mysore from November 09, in addition to high quality voice connectivity, which is the hallmark of the brand.
Mr. Sergey Cheremin, Deputy Chairman of Sistema, said, “I am happy to see that MTS, one of the world’s biggest telecom brands from Russia, is spreading its foot print in the IT capital of India. I am overwhelmed by the quick acceptance of the MTS brand in India, which exemplifies the quality of its offering.”
Mr. Vsevolod Rozanov, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sistema Shyam Teleservices Limited (SSTL) said, “We are committed to enlarging the presence of MTS brand in all the major urban centres of India, and the Karnataka launch reflects this commitment. We will provide the highest quality mobile voice and high speed data services based on advanced technology and at the most competitive prices.”
SSTL will launch in Mumbai soon and will be present in all 5 important Indian metros including Bengaluru before the end of the year. MTS brand is well recognized in India and worldwide for its commitment to high quality and innovative solutions. In a short span of time, MTS has secured over 2.3 million subscribers in the telecom circles of Kolkata, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi. MTS has more than 100 million subscribers all over the world.
About Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (operating under the MTS brand)
Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL) is a joint venture between Sistema {LSE: SSA} of Russia and the Shyam Group of India. Sistema is the majority share holder in this joint venture with a 74% equity stake, along with the Shyam Group holding a 23.5% stake and the remaining 2.5% being publically held. SSTL has spectrum to provide mobile telephony services in all the 22 circles across the country.
MTS is a globally acclaimed telecom brand, the 8th largest telecom brand in the world. MTS has recently been ranked by Millward Brown as 71st out of the top 100 brands in the world.
