Uninor expands network footprint in Gujarat by 30%

With 6.6 mn subscribers in Gujarat, the state is number four market for Uninor where the company has 243 branded stores and 57,000 points of sale

Reaching out to 300 new villages and towns in Gujarat, telecom operator Uninor has expanded its network footprint in the state by 30 per cent.

The 100 per cent subsidiary of Norway-based Telenor Group, announced the move as part of its largest ever network expansion in a single year wherein Uninor deployed of 5000 additional network sites across its six circles in 2014.

With 6.6 million subscribers in Gujarat, the state is number four market for Uninor where the company has 243 branded stores and 57,000 points of sale (PoS).

"This is by far the biggest network rollout for Uninor's Gujarat circle since launch in 2009. The network expansion in Gujarat will help us to offer the most affordable voice and Internet services to more consumers in existing and new towns and establish a base for future revenue growth. We will continue to serve our customers and the telecommunications sector overall to the best of our capabilities," said Rituraj Kalita, Circle Business Head- Gujarat, Uninor.

With the addition of 5000 sites, the network footprint of Uninor has gone up by around 30 per cent and population coverage has increased to 51 per cent across the six circles. The company now has more than 24,000 network sites deployed across its six circles with an ability to cover 50 million additional population in these regions.

"The addition of over 5000 new sites is a reflection of our commitment towards providing enhanced quality of services to our customers and a key step towards our expansion strategy in the country. With our 'Uninor Etle Faydo' proposition and Internet for All strategy, we were able to achieve strong revenue growth this year," said Vivek Sood, CEO, Uninor.

According to the company, Uninor reported a 38 percent year on year improvement in gross revenue in Q3 2014 amid challenging operating environment. The average revenue per user (ARPU) for the company also went up by 4.4 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter. In the last 12 months, Uninor has added over 10 million new subscriptions in its six circles.

Meanwhile, the company acquired a new circle of Assam in 2014 auction along with additional spectrum in four of its existing circles. Preparations are now underway to launch the circle of Assam.