Airtel plans to unveil new value-added service

In talks with banks, tech partners to support payment via mobile system

Mobile service provider, Airtel, is working on launching a new value-added service that will enable payments via a mobile phone. The company is already in discussions with a few banks and technology partners to support this system.

Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference, Atul Bindal, group chief marketing officer and director (mobility), Bharti Cellular Limited, said, "We are currently conducting in-house pilots and will be launching out-house pilot programmes soon. In the coming year we are likely to introduce this service."

With this service, an Airtel customer will be able to pay via his/her mobile phone instead of a credit card or by cash. "Today there are more number of mobile phone users than those of credit cards in India. So this service will help our customers pay at the point-of-sale with the help of a mobile phone as well," he added.

According to Manoj Kohli, president (mobility), Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited, "We are already in discussions with banks and technology partners but it is too early to reveal the names."

The company is also working on introducing a system wherein customers can decide the messages and calls that they would like to receive from the mobile service provider and at what time. "This is to ensure that the customers' interest and privacy are respected," said Kohli.

"Besides, there have also been complaints regarding unsolicited calls and messages being received by customers from banks and credit card companies. We have already initiated legal action on this front," he added.

Airtel is planning to add 750 cell sites in Andhra Pradesh to the existing 740 in the current fiscal.

On a nationwide basis, it is looking at adding 10,000 cell sites during the same period to the current 10,000. A cell site is where the base station radio equipment and their antennas are located. It gives radio coverage to a geographical area.

Till March 2005, its network spanned around 300 towns in the state and it plans to cross the 750-mark by March 2006. As on June 30, 2005, it covered 2,800 towns in the country and plans to reach the 5,000-mark during the same period.

The company will be spending Rs 250 crore in Andhra Pradesh for network expansion out of the Rs 4,000-crore set aside for the country in this financial year.