New tech to bring 'Internet for All' on the way: Uninor COO

By Krishna Mukherjee

<strong>Of late, telecom firm Uninor completed five years of operations in India with its total subscribers base at over 47.7 million today. Though the company is taking nano steps to make it big in the Indian telecom landscape, it didn’t buy any spectrum in the auctions held in the month of March.

Voice&Data caught up with Tanveer Mohammad, Chief Operating Officer, Uninor, to know about its future plans and vision.

Voice&Data: Uninor didn't buy any spectrum in the recent spectrum auctions. How is it planning to move forward?

Tanveer Mohammad: The average spectrum holding in India is among lowest in the world. Though this has fostered innovation to squeeze out more from the network, the government needs to provide a spectrum road map for operators to prepare business strategies with newer technologies. Uninor has also invested on its network infrastructure to derive more efficiency within our allocated spectrum.

We are offering affordable telephony services on a 2G network and have around 47 million subscribers from six circles in less than six years of our operations. However, we will not remain a 2G operator forever. We will continue to scout for new technologies to bring Internet for All. On the other hand we cannot ignore voice services, which are expected to grow in India for some more years. The country has less than 300 million Internet users and nearly 40% of the population still not connected to phone. This means there is still opportunity to grow basic services and we will continue to evaluate all available options to serve our customers better.

Voice&Data: Keeping in mind Telenor's 100% acquisition and the major restructuring in the company, what type of plans it hold for India?

Tanveer Mohammad: Telewings Communications Services is a 100% subsidiary of Telenor Group and it offers mobile telephony services under the Uninor brand in India. It is recognised for its customer centric approach and affordable voice and Internet products.

We have consistently delivered high growth and gained market share in the past five years. We aim to maintain a strong growth trajectory in the years to come and target to have at least 50% of our customer Internet enabled by 2017. For this, Uninor will continue to make investments in the business and improve our operations to grow profitably.

Voice&Data: What's your views on the tiff going between OTT players and telcos?

Tanveer Mohammad: To connect the next billion customers to Internet and realize the Digital India dream, India should focus on making Internet affordable for the masses. Uninor supports an open and innovative Internet enabling equal access to all.

In the rapidly changing mobile telephony space, OTT players are offering content, instant messaging and other communication services and M2M services. It is imperative to treat all communication services alike and offer a level=playing field through principles of regulatory equality.

Hence, we propose “same service, same rule” that will ensure sustainable competition, safeguard network investments and will enable a balanced regulatory environment for all players in the digital ecosystem.

Voice&Data: Do you think the entry of Reliance Jio will compel telcos to take out the best out of them? What are your thoughts on the same?

Tanveer Mohammad: Uninor has created a unique position for itself in the market with its focus on mass market, basic services, low-cost operation and affordable tariffs. Uninor has successfully competed on a 2G network and its customer centric approach has helped it gain market share in six operational circles.

Our objective is to offer Internet for all, which is aligned to the Digital India mission. Last year our Sabse Sasta Internet service brought a paradigm shift in the market. The service-based tariffs have taken away the pain of tracking how much data has been consumed and the customer now pays for the services he uses. In the coming years Uninor will introduce more innovative products and services to meet the customer demands both on voice and tariff side.

Voice&Data: How will Uninor differentiate itself from other players in the coming days?

Tanveer Mohammad: Since our launch in 2009, we have delighted customers with our Sabse Sasta voice and Internet services. This will be our differentiator in coming days too. We will continue to strengthen our customer centric approach and cater to their demands with latest network technology and relevant products.