OREANDA-NEWS. On April 15, 2008 Sistema (LSE: SSA), the largest public diversified corporation in Russia and the CIS, which manages fast growing companies operating in the consumer services sector, announced that it has received radio frequencies in eight additional Indian circles, reported the press-centre of Sistema.

The Department of Telecommunications of India has allocated the 800 MHz radio frequencies to Sistema's subsidiary, Shyam Telelink, in eight Indian circles, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Together with radio frequencies already obtained in Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-East, Sistema will be able to start building a full scale CDMA network in 12 Indian circles, which will cover over half of the territory of India with a target population of approximately 650 million people.

On January 10, 2008, Shyam Telelink was awarded guarantee letters for the provision of unified telecommunication licenses to provide fixed-line and cellular services in 21 Indian circles. These licenses will allow Shyam Telelink to build mobile networks and provide fixed-line and mobile services. The company now holds licenses, including those already obtained in Rajasthan, to provide pan-Indian telecommunication services.