Idea Cellular planning 3G launch in Bengal during Q3

Telecom operator, Idea Cellular on Wednesday said it is planning to launch its own 3G services in Kolkata during October-December this year and has thought of investing Rs.380 crore in the state to strengthen its network.

"We have planned an investment of Rs.380 crore for our Kolkata and West Bengal circles this year. Until now, the cumulative investment is Rs.2,059 crore," the company's chief executive officer for east, Anish Roy told media persons here.

The company is presently offering 3G services under an agreement with Vodafone and has 6,000 cell sites across the state. It presently offers the third generation internet services in 21 circles.

Despite winning spectrum for 4G in ten circles, the company is not considering to launch 4G services immediately.

"4G is still evolving, both at vendors' level of price points of equipment, which is not yet optimal and at consumers level experience with the devices," said the company's corporate affairs chief Rajat Mukarji.

In its plans to strengthen presence in the Kolkata and West Bengal circles, the company will be setting up an additional 1,200 2G cell sites across the state and about 2,000 3G sites in the metropolis.

The Aditya Birla group company said it is considering a capital expenditure (capex) between Rs. 5,000-5,500 crore in the ongoing fiscal year to strengthen its infrastructure further.

"The capex plan for the company during the fiscal year 2015-16 is between Rs 5,000 - Rs 5,500 crore which will go into network, IT, fibre laying and others," Mukarji said.