Mobile operator, Uninor, has announced that it will prioritise its focus on Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa and seven other best performing circles of UP East, UP West, Bihar and Jharkhand, Kolkata, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, and that it will continue to invest and expand operations aggressively in these circles. Uninor also intends to expand its distribution and number of shops selling Uninor products in these nine circles, and strengthen its Network coverage across the region through additional sites. The company also declared that operations in the four circles of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Orissa will be gradually scaled down. According to the company, the decision has been taken in light of the continuing uncertainty around the 2G spectrum auction policy and timing. The company believes that this new focus will place it in a stronger financial and operational position to enter the auctions from, rules permitting. Sigve Brekke, Managing Director, Uninor, said that the company's plan was to enter the auctions with an even stronger presence, and that it will focus funds, resources and all its efforts to meet more aggressive targets in these nine circles. This would also mean that Uninor might lay-off a large chunk of employees in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Orissa, and close down retail presence points. Uninor's parent company, Telenor, has been facing tough questions from its investors on the company's plans in India, specially after its licenses were cancelled, following the Supreme Court verdict in the 2G Spectrum allocation case, earlier this year.
