Zip Telecom provides telecom-related management solutions through its different businesses—management of franchise locations, specially designed pay phone instruments (ZipFones) and an advertising avenue called Zip Media Avenues. Zip Telecom is a subsidiary of ZIP Global Network, a Mauritius-based company.

ZIP Telecom registered a turnover of Rs 80 crore for the fiscal 2000-01, as compared to the previous year’s Rs 40.80 crore.

The company provides its payphone services to location owners and users under strategic alliances with basic service providers. At present, ZIP Telecom manages over 13,000-franchised payphone locations in Maharashtra (with Hughes Tele.com) and in Madhya Pradesh (with Bharti Telenet), apart from Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Calcutta.

The company has recently received a second round of funding from one of its key shareholders AIG to the tune of $17 million. ZIP plans to use these funds towards international operations, focused brand building initiatives and to expand its network in India. ZIP Telecom has global patents pending for ZIPFone and ZIP Payphone Business Model that incorporates distributed electronic advertising as a key revenue stream.

The company controls the design and manufacture of the phones and also markets, installs and maintains them.