T Malaysia, Spice to launch co-branded calling cards

SPICE Telecom and Telekom Malaysia (TM) will soon launch co-branded international calling cards in India. Spice also plans to leverage TMI’s roaming arrangements and networks across Asia to offer uniform outgoing call tariffs across the region. This concept of a common tariff rate will also apply to roaming customers, CMD Dilip Modi told ET. Currently, operators who offer calling cards have different tariff and roaming rates for different countries in Asia. (Telekom Malaysia (TM) currently has a 49% stake in Spice, but this will fall to 39.2% after the mobile company’s upcoming IPO.) “TMI has over 30 million customers in the region. We are looking at how best we can work together and leverage TMI’s vast assets in the region. Cheaper calling within this region, co-branded calling cards, uniform roaming packages across different countries are some of the immediate initiatives,” Mr Modi said. Spice Telecom, which is close to receiving both nation and international long distance (NLD/ILD) licenses, is looking at riding on Telekom Malaysia’s ILD infrastructure to tap this market. “TM is a consortium member of all submarine cable systems that land in Malaysia and has access to capacity in other submarine cable systems globally. Also, TM has co-location facilities at major data centres and tele-houses. Due to our relationship with TM, we can access these cable systems and facilities. Also, up on receiving the ILD license, we expect to be able to benefit through high volume commitments TM has in the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr Modi added. The move will also help TM tap the enterprise and managed services businesses in India. “We have huge submarine cable assets, which are among our strengths. We are keen to offer global connectivity to India,” TM’s International CEO Yusuf Annuar Yaacob had earlier told ET. “Spice, riding on our undersea cables, can be a very competitive player in the ILD business,” he had added.

Courtesy: EconomicTimes
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