Company Background - MTNL

Incorporated in 1986 by merging the Bombay and Delhi telephone networks, Mahanagar Telphone Nigam (MTNL) is into telecom services of international standards.

The company enjoys a virtual monopoly in telecom services in these two cities, (Bombay & Delhi). It depends upon the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for calls made outside the respective circles, for which it pays licence fees.

MTNL has gone on a computerisation spree in areas like directory enquiry, billing, waiting list enquiry, material management, etc. During the year 1996-97, in order to increase customers satisfaction it has commissioned number of facalities like round the clock operatorless Computerised 'Change Number Announcement Service' based on Interactive voice response system popularly known as 195 Seva, Introduction of On Line Registration of new telephone connections, Fault Repair System, popularly known as FRS.

MTNL launched its cellular service branded Dolphin in Bombay on Feb.'01. It has also started its cellular services in Delhi. Recently the company has implemented its expansion plan of call center for customer care services for Dolphin Mobile customers.

MTNL got its American Depository Receipts (ADRs) listed on the New YorkStock Exchange on 8th November, 2001. During 2001-02 the company has invested Rs.1,675 million as equity in the United Telecommunications Limited, a joint venture formed with M/s TCIL,M/s VSNL and NVPL,a local partner in Nepal. This is the first for the company to foray into the International Telecom Market. The company has commenced its commercial operations and the services has been inaugurated in September 2003.

The subsidiaries of MTNL are Millennium Telecom Ltd at Mumbai and Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Ltd at Mauritius.

In the year 2003-04 the company was planning to purchase the international roaming replicator soultion from Roamware Inc. USA as a turnkey solutions. The company is also planning about the scrapping and decommissioning of PDH transmission system working in MTNL Delhi. Further the company is planning to expand the equipment for provision of 400K lines CDMA 2000 1X equipment in Delhi and Mumbai & provision of 400K lines GSM each in Delhi and Mumbai.

During 2004-05, the company sucessfully lanuched its Broad Band services under the Brand name 'Tri Band' in Delhi and Mumbai simultaneously.