The Hindu : Tata Tele ties up with n-Logue for rural telecom

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 22, 2003

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Business

Tata Tele ties up with n-Logue for rural telecom

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI MARCH 21. Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL), a private basic service operator, has tied up with n-Logue Communications to develop rural telecommunication in selected areas. As per the partnership, n-Logue Communications would set up the network infrastructure and provide last mile connectivity to TTSL for offering basic services in four Short Distance Charging Areas (SDCA) in Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Chief Operating Officer, TTSL, R. Balachandran, said this tie-up would improve the quality of rural connectivity in Tamil Nadu. With this partnership nearly 400 kiosks would be set up in four SDCA's by 2004. These kiosks would provide telecom services in some specific small towns and rural areas. The operations in the four SDCA's (Bhavani, Vaniyambadi, Gudiyatham and Mayavaram) would start in three months time. TTSL was partnering n-Logue, which would act as its franchisee in the areas where TTSL proposed to operate. n-Logue would in turn work with local entrepreneurs to set up the network infrastructure and provide connectivity, training, support and linkage to relevant Internet-based services. Further SDCAs might also be subsequently covered through a similar model.

According to P. G. Ponnapa, CEO, n-Logue, said at present a typical kiosk would offer both telephone and Internet services to the local community.

The kiosks would act as a local and STD/ ISD telephone booth, an Internet centre, E-governance centre, E-education centre and also provide employment for educated people in the rural area. For its network, n-Logue would use CorDECT, a WLL-based technology. It would look at partnering institutions and organisations, largely on the local area, that could provide such services.

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