Bharti Airtel on Monday said it was all set to launch 3G services before the end of 2010 that would help the company usher in broadband data revolution.
The mobile operator, which is now rolling out state-of-the-art networks, plans to introduce a new range of services in the areas of mobile commerce, health and entertainment, while the company was in advanced stage of discussion to offer all-India coverage by covering those areas too where it did not bag 3G spectrum during the auction.
Airtel successfully bid for 3G spectrum in 13 telecom circles out of the total 22 circles. These 13 telecom circles constitute 68 per cent of Airtel's revenue market share. This includes key metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, which account for 21 per cent of all data traffic in the country, and are expected to have the strongest uptake of 3G services.
According to Bharti Airtel CEO (India and South Asia) Sanjay Kapoor: “3G services will mark the beginning of the next phase of telecom growth story and elevate India's telecom sector on a par with most advanced telecom markets in the world.” Interestingly, Bharti Airtel, which operates in 19 countries, already offers 3G services in Seychelles. It is also running 3G broadband services in Sri Lanka, Jersey and Guernsey.
Mr. Kapoor said Airtel was in advanced discussions with other quality operators to offer 3G services to its customers across the country.