• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

DSQworld, AT&T in bandwidth deal

Rajesh Chandramouli

Bharat Kumar

CHENNAI, June 23

DSQWORLD.COM, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and application service provider (ASP) has finalised a bandwidth deal with global communications leader, AT&T.

Mr. Pawan Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), DSQworld told Business Line that under the terms of agreement, AT&T would offer two mbps in the US and a similar quantum of bandwidth in the UK.

He also said that $2 millions would be paid to AT&T who would maintain the routers and other accessories outside India, while VSNL would manage it in India. The deal was signed last week.

This would enable DSQworld to get a global gateway for the Internet business. The company is in the process of setting up an Internet backbone to provide corporate network and application hosting services.

It is also on the verge of finalising the first round of funding with banks in a week. The funding of Rs. 25 crores required for the first round of operations would be completed by the placement of debt and equity. Mr. Kumar added that a major portion of this would be debt.

The operations would commence by July-August this year. The portal would go for venture funding only after services start, as that would enable better valuation than what it would get now.

Phase I operations would start in Mumbai and Chennai, and in the US, the UK and Singapore. Mr. Kumar said that DSQworld was the India's first ASP and would operate on that niche area.

The portal was promoted by Mr. Dinesh Dalmia (the promoter of DSQ Software). Mr. Kumar said that Mr. Dalmia had already invested Rs. 5 crores in the venture.

For each of the proposed ISP data centres, the configuration would be planned to accommodate WAP, mobile and wireless delivery of services.

The main differentiator for DSQworld.com would be concepts and services such as unified messaging, speech enabled transactions using mobile phones, and WAP services for its portal/ISP subscribers, according to the company.

On the ASP segment, the company would offer corporate Internet applications, ERP, CRM and SCM solutions. Mr. Kumar said that he was on the lookout for a CEO to head DSQworld.com.