DLF may join hands with AT&T
Realty major DLF may rope in US telecom giant AT&T as a strategic partner to roll out pan-India mobile services, reports Business Standard.
AT&T has also applied for a universal access service license (UASL), which allows operators to offer services in both GSM and CDMA technology, with the Mahindra & Mahindra group, for 22 circles; but wants a majority equity stake in the mobile venture.
This will be AT&T`s second coming in India after it exited Idea Cellular a few years ago.
DLF also applied for a pan-India license on its own and without a foreign partner. Insiders also said that DLF is talking to other international telecom majors apart from AT&T.
International telecom majors Vodafone, Singtel, Maxis and Malaysia Telekom already have marked their presence in India.
Russian telecom giant Sistema also entered the fray, indirectly applying for a pan-India license through the acquisition of Rajasthan-based Shyam Telecom. It is said that Japanese giant NTT DoCoMO and Deutsche Telecom had also shown interest in launching operations in India.
Shares of DLF declined Rs 10.70, or 1.24% to end at Rs 851.7. The total volume of shares traded was 1,357,787 at the BSE (Friday).
