Sydney-based Matrix Telecommunications Ltd is celebrating winning paging licences in 23 of India’s largest cities from the Indian Department of Telecommunications: the licences went to four Indian joint venture companies in which Matrix’s subsidiary, Matrix Asia Ltd (now called Matrix Telecoms Asia Ltd) owns 50%; operations will start within the next 12 months; Matrix also is competing for future paging licences in 18 telephone districts in India, encompassing 442 smaller cities ranging in population from 100,000 to 1m, and says despite failing to win licences for Bombay, Lucknow and Ahmedabad, as these were decided on the basis of levy paid, plans to implement an India-wide national paging network, which it reckons would be the largest in the world; the licences are granted on a non-exclusive basis and larger cities such as Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta, have a total of four licences, medium cities three, and small cities, two.
