Spice gets NLD/ILD license

CHANDIGARH: Mobile operator Spice Telecom on Monday said it has bagged the licence to operate National and International Long Distance (NLD/ILD) services in India, allowing the company to carry both voice and data traffic nationally and internationally.

"Spice Communications has been granted NLD/ILD licenses by the Department of Telecommunication," Dilip Modi, Chairman & Managing Director, Spice Telecom said in a release issued here on Monday.

National and International Long Distance is a high-growth industry segment with an annual growth rate of about 50 per cent.

It is estimated that the current annual revenues from international voice and data business are approx $3 billion while the NLD data connectivity market is valued at $1.2 billion.

Spice Telecom, the brand name of Spice Communications Limited, is presently operating Cellular Phone Services in the states of Punjab and Karnataka. Spice Telecom is promoted by Modi Wellvest Private Limited. Telekom Malaysia is a strategic investor in Spice Telecom.