MTNL plans to get listed on NYSE

"We want best utilisation of our investible resources. We will behave like a private company and would like to associate with businesses which look good," Rajagopalan said adding that the new plan would be placed before the Board for its approval on December 3.

Commenting on first and second quarter financial performance, Rajagopalan said that new tariff announced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) had some negative impact on total income from operations. He, however, said that as of now MTNL had no plans to approach TRAI for a tariff review. The actual impact of new tariff structure can be realised only after a year from its implementation, he added.

Asked whether MTNL was ready to implement further reduction in long distance charges from April next year as per TRAI’s plan, Rajagopalan said that as per the official position, its impact would be negative and might ask TRAI to review its position for implementing further reduction.

MTNL’s director (Finance) S Sundresan said that company had not revised its targets for the current financial year for the growth as well income in view of first two quarters’ performance. Sundresan said that company was hoping to achieve better results in the third and fourth quarters, as income from value-added services was likley to go up considerably.

Rajagopalan said that MTNL had asked government for additional responsibilities like bringing Chennai underMTNL’s purview. On the proposed expansion of MTNL’s cellular operations in Delhi and Mumbai using Code Divisional Multiple Access (CDMA) technology, Rajagopalan said by March entire Delhi would be covered and service would be expanded to 50,000 subscribers each in both cities.

The company was also evaluating the tenders for its proposed cellular services using the GSM technology, sources said.

MTNL may cut internet charges
NEW DELHI: MTNL may go in for further reduction in internet tariff and adoption of both CDMA and GSM technologies for cellular mobile services soon, MNTL chairman and managing director S Rajgopalan indicated today. He told reporters at the MTNL pavilion at the India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan here that the tariff reduction for internet would be effected after the matter is put up for consideration before the next meeting of the board of directors scheduled for December 3. Rajgopalan said MTNL is going to be the only company to have both the CDMA and GSMtechnologies in the days to come as other operators have only the GSM technology for mobile telephones. The MTNL has already floated a tender for adopting the GSM technology, he said. The MTNL, according to him, is going to be a predominant player in both the internet and cellular phone in the next millennium.