Idea launches GSM services in Orissa

Aditya Birla group telecom service provider Idea Cellular has launched GSM services in Orissa, making its foray into the eastern coast of the country.

This also expands the company’s presence into 16 circles in the country, Idea Cellular said in a release here today.

“We are happy to announce our entry into Orissa, as we expand across the country. We welcome the people of this coastal state to join Idea’s pan-India network. Idea’s commitment to offer the best telephony experience for our customers will usher in a new dimension in mobile telephony experience for the people of the state,” Idea Cellular Director (Operations) Ambrish Jain said.

The company will launch its EDGE enabled network in the state and will cover over 360 towns and villages in Orissa by next month. This will be extended to cover 2,200 towns and villages by March 2010.

Orissa, with a teledensity of 20.3 per cent, as compared to the national average of over 35 per cent, has been identified as a key growth market.

The company will introduce a range of affordable and innovative mobile telephony products and services for over 39 million people in the state.

As part of the inaugural offer, the company will introduce multiple tariff plans ranging from competitive special tariff vouchers, to variable talk time and validity offerings, based on the consumption  and usage patterns of customers.