Seven operators run significant retail fixed-line networks in India. They are listed in the table below, with subscriber numbers and areas of coverage:

Fixed-Line operators*

Operator	Subscribers in millions	Service coverage by circles**
BSNL	31.61	All circles except Mumbai and New Delhi
MTNL	3.59	Mumbai and New Delhi
Bharti Airtel	2.21	All metro, A, and B circles except West Bengal
Reliance Communications	0.81	All circles except Assam and North East
Tata Teleservices	0.69	All circles except Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, and Northeast
Shyam Telelink	0.16	Rajasthan
HFCL Infotel	0.15	Punjab
* As of Jan. 31, 2008 ** See page 4 of this report for a guide to India's circles

The companies recently awarded new licenses will be able to offer fixed-line services in the future if they choose to do so, because they applied for Unified Access Service licenses, which cover fixed and mobile networks. (See Indian Gov't Grants Mobile Licenses.)

In addition, the following companies are licensed to provide national long distance calling services:

• Aircel
• AT&T
• Bharti Airtel
• BSNL
• BT Group
• Cable & Wireless
• HCL Infinet
• Rail Tel Corporation of India
• Sify Technologies
• Tata Communications (formerly VSNL)
• Tulip IT Services
• Verizon Business
• Vodafone Essar

(See Verizon Receives India Licenses, BT Receives India Licenses, and AT&T Goes Long Distance in India.)

Also worth mentioning here are three network operators – Aksh Optifibre Ltd. , IOL Netcom (formerly IOL Broadband Ltd. ), and Time Broadband Services Group – that have invested in content delivery networks to provide managed video and IPTV services to India's operators. (See DIG Buys Into Indian IPTV, IOL, BSNL Team for IPTV, Optibase, Time Team, MTNL's IPTV Sparks Regulatory Debate, AKSH Signs UTStarcom, and Aksh Deploys Optibase.)