Tata Communications has made announcement that it would invest around $500 million in the WiMax venture over the next three years (2010). Tata intends to hook up 200,000 retail customers using WiMax by March next year (2009).

Besides, it also joined hands with US-based Telsima Corporation for equipment.

Telsima Corporation is the major supplier of Mobile WiMAX and WiMAX Certified Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) solutions.

The company will launch WiMax in 110 cities for its enterprise division and in 15 cities for the retail section within the existing year (2008).

Shankar Prasad, president, retail business, Tata Communications said, “The company is in talks with investors to sell a minority stake in its retail unit.”

The company has already rolled out its WiMax services in Bangalore during the last year (December 2007).

Now the company plans to extend its WiMax network providing broadband Internet access and content services to enterprises and residential clients in the other cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Chandigarh, and Kolkata during the initial phase.

Prateek Pashine, vice-president, planning, broadband and retail business, Tata Communications, said, “By 2010, we want to capture a 20% share of the total market.”