Virgin Mobile picks CDMA once again

NOW THAT Vodafone has shown the way, Virgin Mobile is heading towards Indian shores with a joint venture formed with Tata TeleServices (TTSL).

Like the joint venture Virgin operates with Sprint in the USA and Bell Mobility in Canada, Tata runs a CDMA not GSM network.

Typically for Sir Richard Branson, the new Virgin Mobile India will be targeted at the youth market. That will leave Tata's existing Indicom brand as aiming at the mass market.

According to reports, a standard MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) setup in Indian isn't currently legal - although the local telecoms watchdog (TRAI) has recommended that they should be allowed.

So that leaves Virgin Mobile acting as an agent for TTSL. Since TTSL is a CDMA2000 1X network, that means Virgin will have to offer its services over CDMA handsets. Good news for Qualcomm.

TTSL has a customerbase of over 2.68 million, but along with its subsidiary, Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra), it currently serves 4.58 million subscribers.

Seeing as the joint venture is 50:50 and Virgin won't be operating the network, it nicely side-steps all the hassle Vodafone had over foreign ownership of a telecoms network. µ

Although Virgin Mobile India is reportedly recruiting already, there's no mention of it on the Virgin Mobile site yet.

L'INQ
Tata