About Tata Communications

Tata Communications Limited provides international and national voice and data transmission services; selling and leasing of bandwidth on undersea cable systems, Internet dial up and broadband services; and other value-added services, such as mobile global roaming and signaling services, transponder lease, data centers, telex and telegraph and television uplinking. The company serves multi-national enterprises, service providers, and Indian consumers. The company’s global network includes submarine cable network, a Tier-1 Internet protocol (IP) network, with connectivity to approximately 200 countries and territories across 400 points of presence (PoPs), and approximately 1 million square feet of data center and collocation space worldwide. It provides international long distance (ILD) voice services and operates a wholly owned cable network ring worldwide. The company’s global transmission network and its IP core enable a range of services that include traditional time division multiple (TDM) voice, voice over IP (VoIP), private leased circuits, IP virtual private network (VPN), Internet access, global Ethernet, data centers, co-location, managed network, managed services, managed hosting, managed storage, mobile signaling, and other IP-related services. It has strategic investments in operators in Sri Lanka (Tata Communications Lanka Limited) and Nepal (United Telecom Limited). Segments The company operates through three segments: Global Voice Solutions (GVS), Global Data and Managed Services (GDMS), and South Africa Operations. GVS This segment provides GVS primarily to telecommunications carriers for the delivery of international calls. The company owns and operates an international voice network. It maintains direct and bilateral relationships with major international voice telecommunication providers. Transporting approximately 53.7 billion minutes annually of ILD and approximately 8.35 billion minutes of national long distance (NLD), the company has a range of customers that could be divided into three major categories, such as mobile, broadband, and carriers. In addition, the company provides international access voice services (toll-free, home country direct (HCD), and local number services), as well as provides other value-added services worldwide, such as ISDN (integrated services digital network), mobile video telephony, audiotext, solutions, voice peering, and voice over IP eXchange (IPX) services. The company’s portfolio of GVS comprises the following: Voice Termination Services (VTS): The company provides VTS through its global next generation network (NGN), carrying ILD traffic worldwide. VTS Prime, VTS Prime over IPX, VTS Preferred, VTS Call center, VTS Corporate, and VTS are solutions designed to meet each customer’s specific needs in terms of voice quality and price. VTS Prime is used for mobile, retail, and broadband services where the ratio of voice quality and additional features is required. Some of the solutions offered include managed termination, inbound aggregation, SIM bypass, virtual pop, and customer aggregation services. ILD Inbound Services or ‘Access Services’ (Toll-Free, Local Number Services, and HCD): The company’s access services are automated, caller-dialed service options, which allow users to receive toll-free calls from various countries worldwide. International toll free service offers coverage from approximately 108 countries, local number services from 56 countries, and HCD from approximately 100 countries. Universal International Free Phone Service (UIFN): The company provides UIFN, also known as a ‘Universal 800’ or ‘Global 800’ numbers in approximately 50 participating countries. Audiotext: The company provides audiotext service, which transports traffic to destination numbers promoted by content providers in various countries for voice, data, and/or online information services, which might be accessed through the international public telephone network. ISDN: The company offers ISDN services, which provide a high-speed, clear channel data solution that delivers data connectivity to approximately 460 networks across approximately 100 countries and is used for video conferencing applications. Mobile Video Telephony: The company provides mobile video telephony, which enables real time audio-visual communication between mobile subscribers on third generation handsets. As a pioneer in the delivery of mobile video telephony through IP, the company guarantees transport of the user field information on its international TDM and IP network. NLD in India: The company has a national network of approximately 49,000 route kilometers for the provision of NLD services in India. GDMS This segment provides data services, primarily focusing on international and national private leased circuit enterprise networking (private IP and wide area network Ethernet) services and IP transit services. The company supplies international telecommunications providers with transmission backbone services across the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Intra-Asia, and into and out of India. As a Tier 1 Internet service provider (ISP), the company operates an IP network with PoPs worldwide. The company offers a range of customized managed and connectivity solutions to cater to the business needs of the primary multinational corporations worldwide. In addition to international and national private leased circuits, the company offers VPNs and associated managed services, Ethernet services, Internet access, managed hosting, cloud-based services, and Internet telephony. The company also provides other value-added offerings, such as collaboration and conferencing services, managed security services, and other professional services. Enterprise Data Business The company offers customized voice and data solutions, as well as managed services to enterprise customers worldwide, such as: International Private Leased Circuits (IPLCs): The company provides international connectivity for customers who need 24-hour communications from a fixed point in one country to a fixed point in another. These services are provided using the company’s international gateways, earth stations, and cable stations. National Private Leased Circuits (NPLCs): The company provides point-to-point domestic leased lines for customers who need connectivity between their offices across a particular country, such as India. The company has set up a countrywide optical fiber cable backbone, which connects NLD PoPs on a high capacity network. Internet Leased Line Circuits: The company provides Internet leased lines, a high speed, bandwidth solutions that provide constant Internet access. Internet Access Services: The company provides Internet access service with an Internet connection. The service provides a bandwidth solution with constant Internet access speed. Frame Relay Services: The company provides frame relay services, a data transmission technique used to send digital information, such as voice, data, local area network, and wide area network traffic to various destinations from one port. Data Center Infrastructure and Application Services: The company provides customers the option of outsourcing their mission-critical systems operation through system collocation, server hosting, storage, and application hosting in the company’s data centers across India and internationally while connecting to the company’s global network backbone. The company operates approximately 1 million square feet of space in data centers and collocation facilities across 3 continents. The company has also introduced its infrastructure as a service offering, which provides elastic, on-demand computing and storage resources to businesses through the network as and when they need them. InstaCompute allows organizations to manage their business in line with growing and fluctuating market demands and evolving technology. Global VPN Services: The company offers VPN services based on multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) technology. Both layer 2 and layer 3 services are supported. The company operates 118 PoPs to deliver the service across various locations within India. The company also offers international VPN services across 64 countries and through virtual network operator (managed IPSec connections using third party ISPs) to extend coverage to approximately 190 countries. Global and Pan-India Ethernet Service: The company offers metro, national, and global Ethernet services across 51 countries. The Metro Ethernet Forum certified Ethernet services are offered on synchronous digital hierarchy/synchronous optical networking, MPLS, and its next generation Ethernet platform, which operates using the PBB transport protocol. The company offers Ethernet services through a low latency network to six new locations worldwide. Television Uplinking: The company provides television uplinking facilities on a 24x7 basis to various broadcasters. The company also provides international and domestic relay of television programs and news services through satellite and fiber on a contractual basis, as well as on an on-demand basis to various media customers. The company also uses digital satellite news gathering terminals for ‘on-site’ live video uplinking. Transponder Lease Services: The company provides transponder capacity to media broadcasters and government institutions in India. Hosted Contacted Center Services: The company provides a range of contact center services hosted in the global network and based on world primary solutions from Cosmocom. IPLC Service: The company offers IPLC service, which is an uncompressed TDM voice solution for customers making bulk inbound/outbound calls between India and foreign destinations and is primarily suited for major customers, such as call centers. MVoIP and IPVoice Connect: The company offers VoIP solutions through its Internet and global VPN networks. Business Messaging and Collaboration: The company provides hosted Microsoft Exchange messaging with security, archiving/storage, and associated collaboration applications. The service is offered as both ‘Ready Access Business Messaging’ as an off-the-shelf software-as-a-service and as ‘Adaptive Business Messaging’ as bespoke customer-dedicated implementations. The company in collaboration with Google also launched its InstaApps offering, which brings global Internet-based collaboration and office tools to companies. This offering includes email and calendar, instant messaging, and voice and video chat, as well as office document applications, which are accessible to businesses when and where they need them. Business Audio and Web Conferencing: The company provides global audio and Web conferencing services to facilitate communications among dispersed teams and audiences worldwide. Managed Security Services: Listed in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for managed security service providers, the company is a Tier 1 provider of managed security services that enable the customer to achieve information security compliance and business continuity in the face of continuously evolving security threats. Telepresence Virtual Meeting Room Services: The company provides worldwide virtual meeting room services offering managed Telepresence services for private Telepresence networks and also has a complementary global network of Telepresence public rooms with 43 active public rooms worldwide on the company network and alliance partner networks. The company has extended service to 1,910 connected rooms. On-demand Video Conferencing Services: In July 2013, the company had launched Jamvee, a worldwide on-demand video conference service that is complementary to its global network of managed private and public Telepresence rooms. This service expands the network to the installed base of video conferencing endpoints, including ‘soft-endpoints’ that consist of software that runs on personal computers and mobile devices equipped with high definition Webcam’s. This allows the company’s customers to attend a video conference with Telepresence and other endpoints at any time and through any supported device. The conference service enables intra-company and business-to-business video collaboration to businesses worldwide, enabling an ecosystem of connected rooms for enterprises and their partners and customers. It also supports individual subscriber access through an online self-service portal and a free-downloadable software client for major personal computers (Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X) and mobile device operating systems (Apple iOS and Google Android). The service could be accessed through private links using the company’s worldwide network and through public access from video conferencing endpoints that connected to the Internet, ISDN, and audio-only endpoints through the PSTN. Media Management Platform: The Media Management Solution Suite enables the collaboration, storage, and transformation of media content amongst the players in the media ecosystem. Media Management is an evolution of the earlier Mosaic concept wherein the company has defocused from coding and creating new platforms and instead focused on technology partnerships to create services. The Media Movement portfolio focuses on the movement of live or file based content worldwide. Video connect is the primary product of Media movement solution suite, which focuses on live broadcast contribution and distribution feeds. The company has specific focus on sports broadcasting and aspires to emerge as preferred service provider for sports broadcast contribution from stadium venues, as well as distribution to right holding broadcasters worldwide. The company has various reputed customers and sporting events. Video connect is also pioneering the next phase of broadcast technology transmission in 2K and 4K formats. The Media Movement and Media Management Solution Suite, through its various product offerings provides a service portfolio to Media customers positioning Tata Communications Media Services as a single stop shop across customer needs for Media and IT needs, with enterprise grade Service support. Global Video Network—Video Connect: The company launched a global video network called Video Connect, designed to help broadcasters, studios, and production houses deliver video content to media hotspots worldwide. Content Delivery Network (CDN) Service: The company’s CDN solution enables the delivery of any form of content, anywhere in the world, to any end-user device and thus is a critical service that is provided to enterprises and content owners to help them deliver an assured quality of experience to their end-users. The company’s CDN portfolio comprises various products, such as live streaming of video through the Internet; the delivery of video on demand; large file object delivery for gaming and software companies; Web content acceleration; and application acceleration. For all the above applications, end-users are delivered the content directly from company’s nodes that are situated close to their end-user locations. Carrier Data Business The company’s portfolio of carrier data services includes the following major product lines: Global Transmission Services: The company’s Global Transmission Services, including IPLC and NPLC services, provide customers with high-speed connections between the company’s network of global PoPs through which they could transport voice, data, facsimile, messaging, and video conferencing. Within India, the company operates a countrywide optical fiber cable backbone, which connects national PoPs on a high-capacity network. These services are sold as leases or as standard 15-year indefeasible rights of use. The company’s global network, known as the Tata Global Network, includes a submarine cable network in the world and connects approximately 180 countries and territories with approximately 210,000 kilometers of terrestrial and submarine optic fibers. The company builds and operates its own global ring of cable systems and is part of 50 other consortiums and private cable systems. IP Transit Service: The company is a Tier 1 ISP and has a global IP backbone with communication nodes located throughout the world. The company has approximately 120 IP Transit PoPs located in 31 countries. Local and International Internet Access Service: The company provides connectivity to customers from any country to one of its Internet nodes on the company’s global Internet backbone. White Label/Resell Enterprise Service: The company sells managed network services, such as global VPN and Ethernet, as well as global managed services, such as business video and managed security services through service provider partner channels. Mobility Services The company’s mobility services are tailored to the specific needs of the mobile network operators (MNOs), providing them with the ability to interconnect to other mobile networks, as well as to utilize the company’s suite of roaming and messaging offerings in application service provider mode. The company’s mobility services comprise: Wireless Global Roaming: The company offers a wireless global roaming service to MNOs. It allows for the interconnection of signaling between different operating standards, such as the American National Standards Institute and International Telecommunications Union-Technical. It is primarily used for international roaming of subscribers between networks using either global systems for mobile (GSM) or iDEN technologies. Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) Service: SCCP is an inter-carrier signaling transport service, which relies on global titles of layer 3 of the signaling system #7 (SS7) protocol layer to route SS7 traffic. The company’s SCCP service is designed for GSM and enhanced specialized mobile radio (ESMR)/iDEN mobile operators who wish to use the company’s signaling network to interconnect to other mobile networks to allow roaming and short messaging service (SMS) delivery. The company also offers cross-standard SMS termination, which provides international telecommunications union-technical based mobile operators with the necessary translation of GSM SMS messages and its delivery to various North American code division multiple access (CDMA) operators. Managed Roaming Service (Steering of Roaming): The company offers managed roaming service, which enables operators to steer their outbound roaming subscribers to preferred networks. Intelligent CAMEL eXchange (ICX): The company offers ICX, which provides a single point of connectivity for a CAMEL footprint, while allowing MNOs to maintain bilateral roaming agreements. Offered as a managed service, ICX is a service, which scope covers normalization, testing, and monitoring of the MNO’s SS7 connections to their CAMEL roaming partners. Intelligent Routing Services: The company provides IRS service, which offers a method of intelligent SMS routing, allowing control through co-existing bilateral and hub-based SMS-terminated traffic. GRX (GPRS eXchange): The company offers a service, which allows mobile operators to deliver data roaming capabilities for their subscribers as they travel outside of their home network. IPX Connect: The company provides IPX, which provides multiple services from the list above along with voice and video across a single IP MPLS connection, providing the mobile operator with integrated access to multiple services and various other operators, as well as data roaming in 4G with migration path from GRX. Long Term Evolution (LTE) Roaming: The company offers LTE roaming, which supports diameter signaling through IPX, for mobile operators moving to 4G with policy management through diameter protocol as a streamlined managed service to simplify the complexity of roaming interconnect arrangements across mobile operators. Managed SMS Firewall: The company offers a service that prevents frauds and spam attacks in the form of SMS messages to mobile operator networks and their subscribers. SOUTH AFRICA OPERATIONS This segment’s operations are carried out by the company’s subsidiary, Neotel (Pty) Ltd (Neotel). Neotel offers wholesale international voice and data transit, enterprise business solution services for the wholesale and enterprise market, and telephony and data services for small enterprise customers in South Africa. Neotel operates South Africa’s NGN and CDMA network, and has business customers and retail customers. Neotel’s portfolio includes the following products: Voice Termination Services (VTS): VTS Prime, VTS, and VTS Economy are solutions designed to meet each customer’s specific needs in terms of voice quality and price. VTS Prime is used for mobile, retail, and broadband services where the ratio of voice quality and additional features is required. Neotel also offers managed termination and inbound aggregation services. ILD Inbound Services or ‘Access Services’ (Toll-Free, Local Number Services, and HCD): Neotel’s access services are automated, caller-dialed service options, which allow users to receive toll-free calls from various countries. Managed Calling Cards Solution: This service enables carriers to have a private label prepaid calling service with products and rate plans customized to their markets. Audiotext: This service provides transport traffic to destination numbers promoted by content providers in various countries for voice, data, and/or online information services, which might be accessed through the international public telephone network. ISDN: Neotel provides prime rate interface services for voice only. NLD in South Africa: Neotel has a national network of approximately 15,000 kilometers for NLD services in South Africa. NeoLink Global—TDM: Neotel provides international point-to-point connectivity for customers who need connectivity solutions between South Africa and major international cities—NeoLink with TDM Handoff. Neolink: Neotel provides point-to-point domestic leased lines for customers who need connectivity between their offices across South Africa. NeoInternet: To connect customers to the Internet through Neotel’s PoPs in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, Neotel provides high speed bandwidth solutions that provide Internet access. Neotel’s IP superhighway forms part of the core of the Internet in South Africa by means of peering relationships with the country’s major ISPs and content providers, as well as utilizing the footprint of the company’s global IP network to provide access to the worldwide Web. Data Center Infrastructure and Application Services: Neotel provides customers the option of outsourcing their mission-critical systems operation through system collocation, server hosting, storage, and application hosting in Neotel’s data centers across South Africa. NeoOne VPN Services: Neotel offers VPN services based on MPLS technology. Both layer 2 and layer 3 services are supported. NeoOne VPN offers single flat rate high speed access and converged offering delivered on Neotel’s Carrier Class IP MPLS network. It enables access to Neotel’s entire bouquet of IP services with minimal service interruptions and includes management. NeoLink Global VPN is MPLS delivered to South Africa and major international cities—300 locations, in 200 countries on 6 continents. Ethernet Service: Neotel offers metro and national Ethernet services. Metro Ethernet services are delivered through NeoMetrolink or NeoLink with Ethernet Handoff. Television Uplinking: Neotel provides television uplinking facilities on a 24x7 basis to various broadcasters. Neotel also provides international and domestic relay of television programs and news services through satellite and fiber on a contractual basis, as well as on an on-demand basis to various media customers. NeoSat: Neotel’s very small aperture terminal service provides point-to-point/multipoint connectivity through satellite, which enables connectivity to remote sites within and outside South Africa. MVoIP and IPVoice Connect: To meet the improving ILD calling requirements of enterprise customers, Neotel offers VoIP solutions through its Internet and VPN networks. Business Messaging and Collaboration: Neotel provides hosted Microsoft Exchange messaging with security, archiving/storage, and associated collaboration applications. The service is offered as both ‘Ready Access Business Messaging’ as an off-the-shelf software-as-a-service as ‘Adaptive Business Messaging’ and as bespoke customer-dedicated implementations. Business Audio and Web Conferencing: Neotel provides global audio and Web conferencing services through its NeoConference solution that facilitates communications among dispersed teams and audiences worldwide. Managed Security Services: Neotel is a provider of managed security services that enable the customer to achieve information security compliance and business continuity in the face of continuously evolving security threats. Neotel’s Web Guard solution provides security for Internet access from any device, and managed unified threat management (UTM) solutions provide managed firewall and UTM services with features that could be customized to customer requirements. White Label Enterprise Service: Neotel sells managed network services, such as global VPN and Ethernet, as well as global managed customer premises equipment services, including Telepresence and managed security services. Subsidiaries Tata Communications International Pte Ltd. (TCIPL): TCIPL is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of the company that serves as the company’s international holding company for the company’s operations outside of India, with the exception of its activities in South Africa and Sri Lanka, which are undertaken by different entities. TCIPL also serves as an operating company with operations in Singapore, providing customers communications services into and out of Singapore. Customers The company’s customer base includes approximately global carriers and service providers; mobile operators; corporations, including companies listed in the Forbes list of companies; MNCs; broadband and Internet subscribers; and wireless fidelity public hotspots. Sales and Marketing GVS: This segment is focused on international and India long distance voice solutions, which are provided to mobile operators, over the top players, cable companies, and carrier customers. The GVS sales team is the primary interface with telecommunication operator customers throughout the world. The team is responsible for building relationships with local/regional service provider customers for them to sell voice solutions to their end users. GDMS: Internationally, the Enterprise business unit is managed in each region through the company’s direct and indirect teams located in the Americas, Europe and Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. The Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) unit primarily caters to SME business customers in India, which primarily consist of small/home offices and small and medium sized enterprises. Business Strategy The company’s strategy is to build IP-leveraged solutions advanced by its unmatched global infrastructure and leadership position in India and other markets where it competes. Neotel’s long term strategy is based on three core pillars, including leading in IP and converged services, becoming the partner of choice for managed services and occupying a strategic position in South Africa and the South Africa Development Community. Significant Events In September 2013, Etisalat and Tata Communications announced a partnership to build a multi-service regional network infrastructure accessed from Etisalat's SmartHub facility in the UAE. In March 2014, Tata Communications Limited signed a collaboration agreement with Superonline Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. to set up a Multiprotocol Label Switiching node in Istanbul. In May 2016, Tata Communications Ltd. has announced that ST Telemedia and Tata Communications enter into a strategic partnership to expand data centre business in India and Singapore. Government Regulations In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) exercises jurisdiction over the facilities and services that the company uses to provide interstate and international telecommunications services. The company has obtained the necessary FCC authority under Section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, to use on a facilities and resale basis, various transmission media to provide domestic and international switched and private line services on a non-dominant carrier basis, except that the company is regulated as a dominant carrier on the U.S.—India route. The company also holds multiple FCC licenses granted under the Cable Landing License Act and FCC rules to own and operate undersea cables that land on the U.S. shores. The company holds a Basic International Telecommunications Services license issued by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which authorizes the company to carry telecommunications traffic between Canada and other countries. The company is also registered with the CRTC as a reseller of telecommunications services, resellers sell or lease a telecommunications service, with or without adding value, provided by a Canadian carrier to the reseller. The company also holds International Submarine Cable licenses, as well as various earth station licenses for its earth stations that provide telecommunications services by means of satellites, issued by Industry Canada. Neotel has access to various international submarine cable landing stations through its electronic communications network service license issued by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. Significant Events In May 2016, Digital Realty Trust Inc. announced that it is partnering with Tata Communications Limited to offer customers a new connectivity solution in Digital Realty's data center in Hillsboro, Oregon. In July 2020, the company had secured a Type B telecom license in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The license entitles the company to provide internet service provider (ISP) and related telecom services to enterprises in a defined capacity, along with local currency billing for end-customers in KSA. This would enable the company to make the shift from offering services as a foreign carrier in the Middle East to a local licensed service provider. Through this license, the company would become a carrier-neutral service provider to the OTTs, major enterprises and MNCs in the region. The company would be able to offer network transformation services in KSA and address internet, network security, private cloud and SDWAN requirements across the region. History The company was founded in 1986. The company was incorporated in 1986 as a limited liability company under the Indian Companies Act, 1956. It was formerly known as Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited and changed its name to Tata Communications Limited in 2008.