The Uninor management has decided to reallocate its resources in India by shifting its focus on Kolkata, West Bengal and seven other circles — Uttar Pradesh East, Uttar Pradesh West, Bihar and Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa, Mumbai and Gujarat — while gradually scaling down the company’s operations in the four circles of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Orissa.
The company said that the decision was taken in the light of the continuing uncertainty around the auction policy and timing. “We will scale down to a smaller network in these circles, while remaining operational,” Uninor said in an e-mail response to The Hindu .
“Since launch, Uninor has remained among the top five GSM operators in Kolkata and West Bengal. This is one of our most successful circles, and we will continue to invest and expand operations aggressively here,” said Sigve Brekke, Managing Director, Uninor, in a release.
Auctions
“Our plan now is to enter the auctions with an even stronger presence in the nine circles, including Kolkata and West Bengal, auction rules permitting. We will focus funds, resources and all our efforts to meet even more aggressive targets in these nine circles. We are readying ourselves for a new future in India,” he said. The company said that its intentions were to have a long-term presence in India. “We hope that the auction rules are such that Uninor is able to participate and continue its operations in India.”
In Kolkata and West Bengal, and the other seven circles, Uninor will expand its distribution capacity. Network coverage across the region will be further strengthened through additional sites. This new focus will place the company in a stronger financial and operational position to enter the auctions, it felt.
