Calcutta, May 10: Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) will invest Rs 600 crore in the east in 2006-07.

It has earmarked Rs 265 crore for Calcutta and the Bengal circle and the balance will be spread over the other eastern states.

The company has already invested Rs 832 crore in the region since its inception one-and-a-half years ago to build up network and increase customer base.

“We expect to increase our user base to 2 million in the next six to eight months. The Northeast operations should begin some time this year and the investment would be over and above the Rs 600 crore. We are currently analysing the economic viability of initiating operations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” said Rajesh Puri, head ? operations planning, consumer market business unit, TTSL.

The company also plans to expand coverage from 206 towns to 488 in the east by March 2007 and raise the number of base station towers (BTS) from 727 to 1,246.

The eastern region would also have a 1700 km long optical fibre network.

The company has a market share of 10 per cent in Calcutta with a customer base of over 5.5 lakh. Around 18 to 20 per cent users are added in a month.

“We expect the Calcutta customer base to increase to 2 million in the next six to eight months,” Puri said.

TTSL plans to introduce a product every six months.

It is also considering extending the newly introduced scheme of ‘Don’t Stop Mobile’ to calls from one Tata Indicom phone to another across the country.

It is still at a concept stage and no timeframe or specifics were, therefore, available.