Bharti Infotel and Cisco Systems to Empower Enterprise Networks; Deploys Cisco's IP-based Multiprotocol Label Switching - MPLS - Backbone Network.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

NEW DELHI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 2004

Bharti Infotel Ltd., India's leading provider of access, long distance, data and corporate solutions today announced that it is working with Cisco Systems(R) (Nasdaq:CSCO) on the technology for state-of-the-art services and solutions for its enterprise and corporate customers. Bharti Infotel has deployed a Cisco(R) Internet Protocol (IP)-based Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) backbone solution based on the Cisco 12000, 10000, 7300 and 7200 Series Routers and Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switches. Cisco is a pioneer and global leader in MPLS-based technology and networking solutions.

MPLS is a next generation networking technology that combines high-speed performance with security, scalability and reliability. It also helps in the provisioning of several revenue-generating services such as bandwidth on demand, managed services and intelligent routing of voice, data and other mission-critical traffic. The deployment of MPLS is in keeping with Bharti Infotel's strategy to further consolidate its leadership in the data and broadband market where the company has a market share of nearly 50 percent. With a dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM)-based high-capacity fiber backbone, cable landing facilities for international bandwidth and now an MPLS backbone, Bharti Infotel offers a unique value proposition for its customers.

The Data and Broadband group of Bharti Infotel will be marketing these new revenue-generating services to enterprises, corporations and other service providers, and is targeting revenues in excess of Rs 100 crore (US$ 22 Million) from the sale of capacities using IP-based MPLS technology, this fiscal year. With reduced cost of ownership for corporations and enterprises, Bharti expects more and more of them to connect their offices, vendors, partners and customers through the MPLS backbone, thereby increasing the overall market size for MPLS virtual private networks (VPNs). The Data and Broadband group currently has the top-500 corporations in the country as its customers, including corporations in the BPO (business process outsourcing), consumer products, media and entertainment sectors.

Speaking on the deployment, Mr. Badri Agarwal, president, Bharti Infotel Ltd. said, "With the advent of globalization, there is an incessant demand from Indian enterprises to access world-class services such as VPN, bandwidth on demand and managed networks. The challenge for service providers like Bharti is to make these services available at a reduced total cost of ownership. To address this, we have opted for the industry's leading IP-based MPLS solution from Cisco. As an end-to-end provider of world-class communication services, we are now uniquely positioned to offer high-speed, carrier-class services to various enterprises in the country."

Mr. Rangu Salgame, president, Cisco Systems India and SAARC, said, "Cisco is pleased that Bharti Infotel has chosen its IP-based MPLS solution. This end-to-end solution delivers significant operational and capital cost savings to Bharti Infotel and enables them to offer world-class value-added services to address their corporate customer demands with comprehensive security, scalability and quality of service."

According to Mr. Jagbir Singh, Group CTO, Bharti Infotel, "MPLS-based VPNs makes it feasible to connect several hundred sites across the network in a secured manner, which is a key requirement especially for banks, government organizations, and more. In addition, traffic management capability of MPLS provides guaranteed bandwidth and enhanced quality of service, critical for delivering real-time applications like e-learning and video streaming over the IP backbone."

About Bharti Tele-Ventures

Bharti Tele-Ventures is India's leading private sector provider of telecommunications services with an aggregate of 7.14 million customers as of March 2004, consisting of more than 6.5 million mobile customers. The Company today offers mobile services in 15 out of 23 telecom service areas in India. The Company also provides fixed-line services in five major service areas in the country.

The company complements its mobile and fixed-line services with national and international long distance services. The company also has a submarine cable landing station at Chennai, which connects the submarine cable connecting Chennai and Singapore. The company provides reliable end-to-end data and enterprise services to the corporate customers by leveraging its nationwide fiber optic backbone, last-mile connectivity in fixed-line and mobile circles, VSATs, ISP and international bandwidth access through the gateways and landing station. For more information, visit www.bhartiteleventures.com.

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