Global telecom providers form association

BANGALORE, INDIA: Global telecom service providers, which provide enterprise telecom services in India, announced on Monday the formation of the Association of Competitive Telecom Operators (ACTO).

ACTO, an industry body focused on policies that will enhance enterprise telecommunications in India, has been formed by several leading non-integrated long distance carriers that provide service to the Enterprise market segment, said a press release.

The Enterprise market segment includes the IT-enabled Services, Business Process Outsourcing, and Multinational Company segments that are a cornerstone of India’s growing economy.

ACTO’s founder members include AT&T, BT, Cable & Wireless, Orange Business Services and Verizon Business, the release said.

The formation of ACTO, and its focus on the Enterprise telecommunications landscape, marks a new chapter in the ever-evolving telecom sector in India, and signifies the importance and promising growth in the enterprise segment, it said.

S.N. Gupta, president, ACTO, while announcing the launch commented that “ACTO will strive to advocate for open competition in the Indian market to promote sustainable investment in the long-distance telecommunications services sector.”

In his opinion, “India is a key strategic location for many multinational companies, and investment in best practice across the telecommunications service sector is an increasingly critical requirement to support economic growth.”

He said the formation of ACTO will help to promote the ongoing dynamism of the Indian telecommunications market. ACTO is an association representing non-integrated long distance telecom carriers, that will represent and advocate to the Government and Regulatory bodies on issues related to market opening, emerging technologies and pro-competitive policies and reforms in the Enterprise market segment, said the release.

The forum has been registered under the Societies Registration Act by Registrar of Societies, Government of NCT of Delhi, the release added.