Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd. (SSTL), the joint venture company which operates in the Indian subcontinent under the MTS brand has announced that the company will shut down operations in 10 of its 22 circles where the company held the licenses.
Back on February 2nd February 2012, the Honourable Supreme Court of India had cancelled 112 2G licenses out of which 22 licenses were held by MTS.
MTS has let us know that the company now initiated the process of informing its users in the 10 circles which include: Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, North East, Orissa and Punjab to port out to other telecom operators of their choice with 30 days.
MTS has also made it a point to to confirm its intention to participate in the spectrum auctions which are starting on 11th March 2013. The company has a customer base of over 14 million and out of which, less than 15% of users come from the impacted circles and with an on roll employee count of about 3000, the company expects less than 10% who are employed in the 10 circles to be impacted.