Airtel brings the 4G revolution to Bengaluru (India)
Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecom services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, today launched its 4G services in India’s IT hub – Bengaluru. Following the recent inaugural launch of Airtel 4G services in Kolkata, customers in Bengaluru have now become the second in India to have access to cutting-edge 4G LTE technology that delivers the most advanced wireless broadband experience available across the globe. As a first for the telecom industry worldwide, Airtel has also introduced ‘Smartbytes’ for 4G – thus allowing customers to buy these add on packs and continue enjoying the 4G experience even after exhausting their monthly data limits.
At the launch, Sanjay Kapoor, CEO – India & South Asia, Bharti Airtel said that as seen the world over, the total data usage is exploding and is doubling each year to grow to nearly 3.6 hexabytes by 2014. With the launch of 4G, India will move from being a follower in technology to matching the world in this domain. Leading from the front, Airtel is now the only operator that gives citizens of the Information Technology capital of Bengaluru, access to entire spectrum of broadband services including 2G, 3G and now 4G – thereby giving the customers never seen before data experience. Besides offering rich content, Airtel 4G will allow superfast access to High Definition (HD) video streaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and much more.
As part of an exciting introductory offer by Airtel, customers subscribing to 4G services will now be given a cashback for the CPE / dongle – thus bringing device cost to customers zero and paving way for mass adoption of 4G services. Airtel 4G is now also available in an all new 30GB pack priced at $57.
Customers on Airtel 4G can already choose from a catalogue of over 35 high quality Bollywood movie titles and leverage the power of 4G to enjoy an unmatched video streaming experience. While 10 movie titles will be available free of cost for customers during the first month, movie buffs can pay a monthly subscription of INR 149 and watch unlimited movies. Airtel will be further adding to this list of movies in the catalogue in weeks to come.
In 2010, Airtel had successfully bid for BWA license spectrum in Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai) circles. The company has launched its 4G LTE services in Kolkata and Bengaluru and is currently working towards rolling out state-of-the-art networks in remaining licence circles.
Airtel selects Huawei for 4G network contract in Karnataka (India)
Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel has awarded Huawei a contract to plan, design, supply and deploy LTE network to offer fourth-generation (4G) mobile broadband services in Karnataka. According to reports, Huawei will deliver LTE network infrastructure and devices which offers high-speed internet access on the go.
Sanjay Kapoor, chief executive officer for India & South Asia, Bharti Airtel, said that with the pioneering launch of 4G LTE, Airtel has paved the way for data revolution in the country by being at the forefront of India’s telecom revolution once again. Further, mobile data traffic in the country will increase nearly 100-fold by 2015 and consumers will stream nearly 600 hours of video content.
This is the third region where Airtel has launched 4G services in India, following Kolkata and Maharashtra. Airtel is also the first operator to offer 4G services in India.
Tata Docomo launches Ugadi offer (India)
India’s Tata Docomo has launched a special ‘Ugadi Offer’ for all its prepaid, postpaid customers including 3G e-stick customers in Karnataka.
As per the offer, customers can have free talk time on various recharge vouchers including US$0.53, $0.64, $1.33, $1.44, $1.53, $1.99, $2.17 and $3.99 and get a chance to win gold. One winner would get to win a bumper prize of 100gms gold, four customers can win 50gms gold, eight customers can win 10gms gold, sixteen customers can win 5gms gold and 100 customers can win 1gm gold. This offer is applicable till April 5.
DoT issues notice to Idea, Etisalat DB for cancelling licenses (India)
The Indian government has issued notices to Aditya Birla group company Idea cellular for Punjab circle and new operator Etisalat DB for Delhi and Mumbai for cancelling their 2G licences for missing roll-out obligations respectively.
According to DoT Secretary R Chandrashekhar, a notice has been issued to Idea Cellular for Punjab circle.
Earlier, a similar notice had been issued to Etisalat DB for cancellation of its licence in Delhi and Mumbai circles.
In Idea’s case, the notice has been issued for not meeting launched obligations and for other violations of licence conditions.
DoT issued Letters of Intent (LoIs) to Idea Cellular for providing Unified Access Services in nine service areas– Kolkata, West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Orissa, North East, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Tamil Nadu (including Chennai) on January 10,2008.
Idea Cellular faces $66 mn fine for M&A violation (India)
Idea Cellular has been threatened with the loss of 3G spectrum and several of its GSM licenses after the Additional Solicitor General of India stated that the company had broken M&A rules when it brought a stake in Spice Telecom in 2008.
The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) also proposed a fine of US$66 million against the company.
Idea Cellular has strongly denied the allegations.
The ASG has sent his report to the Department of Telecom writing that the two companies violated a lock-in period clause which says that telecoms companies cannot enter in mergers within three years from the effective date of their licenses being granted. In total, four new licences were issued to Spice and two to Idea Cellular on January 25, 2008. Hence,mergers of their operations should not have started until January 2011.
In 2008, Idea brought a 41.1% stake in Spice – which resulted in the companies holding overlapping licenses in six of the country’s telecoms circles (or licensed zones). The ASG has suggested cancelling the new licences in these six circles of Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka.
According to the company’s statement, the Idea and Spice merger, since approved by the courts, happened to involve six overlapping licenses. Despite being issued spectrum for five of these, it is Idea which advised the DoT that it was not using such spectrum; in effect, placing overlapping licenses in a de facto escrow pending receipt of the DoT’s formal letter of merger, including surrender, if at all that was attracted.
In addition, Idea has won 3G spectrum in four out of the six circles and DoT has been advised to withdraw the 3G spectrum or the licence would be cancelled.
HDFC Bank seeking 3G services to improve mobile banking (India)
A senior HDFC Bank official has claimed that the bank is planning to increase the number of clients using its mobile banking services in Andhra Pradesh to 10% of its customer base once 3G services are fully launched in the state from below 5% at present.
The leading private lender is also set to open 34 new branches in the state before the end of this financial year, taking the total number to 137.
According to HDFC Bank Senior Vice President, Mr C S Gopinath, mobile banking is still in the budding stage. It has to go a long way. After facilities like 3G services are launched, it is expected to reach 10%. Currently, mobile banking is around 3 to 5%. The aim is to encourage customers to go for more technology based services like ATM, mobile and Internet banking.
According to Mr Gopinath, only 26% of HDFC Bank’s customers visit branches and the rest depend on ATMs, the Internet and mobiles for their banking needs. The bank has 450 to 500 ATMs in AP and up to 20% of customers use Internet banking. HDFC Bank is planning to open 34 new branches in the state by the end of this fiscal.
He informed that they have 103 branches in AP presently. They are planning to open another 34 by the end of this financial year, taking the number of branches to 137. In Karnataka, they have close to 100 branches and in Kerala — 150. In Tamil Nadu, the bank has 135 branches.
Bharti Airtel launches 3G services in Karnataka (India)
Bharti Airtel has launched its 3G services in Karnataka and announced that it will launch 3G services in its other circles by March this year.
3G enables customers to access high speed internet, watch videos and live TV, make video calls and perform other multimedia tasks.
The company won 3G spectrum in 13 out of the 22 telecom circles in a government-led auction.
According to Bharti Airtel’s chief executive officer (India and South Asia) Sanjay Kapoor, 3G is much more than a technology migration – it is a transformational shift and Airtel’s focus would be to bring to its customers an enriched user experience on the back of a world class delivery network.
He added that world over, ‘data traffic’ on the back of high speed internet and use of social networking has already exceeded the ‘voice traffic’. India is ushering in the domain – though later than most of the world – but no doubt we will catch up at a much faster speed.
The company has introduced innovative 3G tariffs with personalized data usage limits. Customers will be able to manage their data usage alert and prevent “bill shock” with personalized and timely data usage alerts, the statement added.
The time-based plans, where billing will be by hour-basis, will be focusing on customers who have less use of data while the flexi-shield plans, where usage and billing will be capped, is aimed at heavy users of data services.
With this launch, Bharti Airtel becomes the third private operator to launch its 3G services in the country following Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices.
DoT rejects Liberty group bid for ITI takeover (India)
The department of telecom (DoT) has reportedly rejected the Liberty Group’s bid for attainment of telecom equipment maker- Indian Telephone Industries (ITI). The Liberty Group which is known for its footwear brand was the only company to have raised a bid for attaining ITI after the fourth deadline to find a buyer for the ailing state-owned firm expired in August 10.
An ITI executive has confirmed that Liberty’s bid had been rejected. The official added that apart from failing to meet some of the technical criteria, the bid was also not placed before the deadline expired.
Liberty has diversified into telecom equipment manufacturing by forming a joint venture with Israel’s Runcom Technologies to make WiMax base stations and accompanying equipment. This JV called Sunfest had recently forged tie-ups with several foreign firms to manufacture telecom equipment.
ITI, which employs more than 12,700 people and operates six manufacturing units in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, has been bleeding revenues over the years.
Idea’s Chairman denies plan to sell stake (India)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The plans to sell stake in Idea Cellular has been denied by Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla. The statement came amidst speculation that Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani may be interested in foraying into the telecom business if Idea was available. The statement came on the sidelines of Global Investors Meet here.
Idea services cover 83 per cent of Karnataka’s total population and the company has nearly 2.70 million customers, straddling 2,300 towns and 16,000 villages.
According to Kumar Mangalam Birla, investments so far have been above Rs 5,000 crore in its multiple plants in this State and the company is very buoyant on Karnataka, given the enabling growth environment and incentives for expansion modernization and diversification and in the near future its growth plans entail an investment in excess of Rs 8,500 crore.
