Tulip set to go long distance

Competition in the long distance service provider segment is set to get more stiff. Tulip IT Services, which has been offering virtual private network-based domestic long distance services for a year now, is now set to get a full fledged domestic and international long distance licence.

These licences, once obtained, will enable the company data and video traffic nationally and internationally. It will also permit it to offer international data connectivity solutions to customers across the world.

In addition, the company will be able to provide high-end services in the burgeoning VPN bandwidth market. The licenses are expected in a months time.

Tulip has to comply and migrate and with licence requirements, as per which all internet protocol VPN service providers are required to migrate to a full-fledged domestic long distance licence.

"We will start providing these services as soon as we get the formal licence from the department of telecommunications. We will focus on data services to corporates in 540 Indian cities using its wireless local loop infrastructure. We will subsequently expand it coverage to 800 cities, " H S Bedi, managing director, said.

Tulip has been awarded a letter of intent for domestic and international services DoT.

The tariff for the services will be in line with the TRAI charges and the company will now focus on international connectivity.

"We want to increase our connectivity internationally and hope to grow our business substantially, Bedi added.