Aircel clocks 7.5 million subscribers in UP (East)

It is targeting to add another 1.5 million customers during 2016-17

Telecom operator Aircel added a million new subscribers in Uttar Pradesh (East) last year. It is aggressively expanding its network in the Circle.

Aircel has about 7.5 million subscribers in UP (E) and it targets to add another 1.5 million new customers during 2016-17. Almost a fourth of its total subscribers are students.

Currently, Aircel covers 40% of the geography in the circle, which would be ramped up to 50% by this fiscal-end, Aircel head (sales and distribution) Prabhat Aggarwal said on Friday.

"We have planned to set up 300 new cell sites in the circle every quarter, which would mean 1,200 new sites every year," he informed. At present, Aircel has 3,500 cell sites in UP (E), of which about 1,200 are 3G sites. Lucknow alone has 345 such sites.

"We are actively upgrading our sites from 2G to 3G and most of the new sites would be 3G compliant," he informed. This expansion is aimed at providing seamless voice and data connectivity, offering speed of 2.5 mbps.

Aggarwal said 60% of the new subscribers were being added in the tier II and III towns of the circle, due to sub-optimal penetration in rural areas.

"Our primarily focus is to provide high speed data to subscribers at affordable rates," he said.

Meanwhile, Aircel launched new 'rate cutter packs' ranging from Rs 6 to Rs 39 in UP (E), which allows affordability for local and STD calling.