SSTL finally receives 800MHz spectrum

The Indian subsidiary of Russia’s AFK Sistema has been awarded the eight regional 800MHz CDMA licences which it won at auction in March this year. Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd (SSTL), which operates under the brand MTS India, has finally been granted its 20-year spectrum rights, after paying a total of INR36.39 billion (USD667.54 million) for licences in the Delhi, Kolkata, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh (West) and West Bengal circles. SSTL’s original wireless concessions were revoked by the country’s Supreme Court in February 2012 following an investigation into the flawed 2008 awards process, and the operator decided not to renew its permits in 13 operating circles. SSTL has been granted three channels of 1.25MHz in each of its eight licence areas, permitting it to re-launch its CDMA-based networks.