Idea to launch 3G in Gujarat by March 2011

Having bagged the 3G spectrum license for 11 circles including Gujarat, Idea Cellular, the pan-India mobile operator and one of the oldest telecom service providers in the state, is bullish about rolling out the new services by March 2011. With already 6 million subscribers in Gujarat, the telecom operator is banking on the new 3G services as well as Mobile Number Portability (MNP) to drive fresh additions to its subscriber base.

"Idea became a pan-India operator a year ago and within a short span of time it has grown to become the 3rd largest mobile operator in the country, despite being in a hyper competitive market. We have made substantial investment in network, technology, processes, customer service, and brand building to gear up for the next phase of growth. We should be rolling out 3G services in Gujarat by March 2011," said Rajat Mukarji, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, IDEA Cellular.

Idea Cellular has already announced a capex of Rs 2,800 crore for 2G as well as 3G for FY'11 and FY'12. The company expects its new 3G services to be driven initially from the urban areas.

According to Arul Bright, chief operating officer - Gujarat, Idea Cellular, the company has reinforced its commitment to grow the mobile telephony market in both rural and urban Gujarat through a strong 900 MHz network of around 5,049 cell sites across 13,429 towns covering a population of 45.9 million, apart from over 1,200 exclusive customer touch points and affordable products and services.

With a revenue market share (RMS) of 17 per cent and customer market share (CMS) of 15.4 per cent in the quarter ending September 30, 2010, Idea is the third largest mobile operator in Gujarat.

"Mobile telephony has played a vital role in the growth of Gujarat, and Idea has been committed to the growth of telephony services in the state, ever since mobile phones were introduced. Idea's strong foothold in the state can be attributed to the deep penetration of our services in rural Gujarat which constitute over 44 per cent of our total subscriber base, making us one of the most accessible mobile service providers across the length and breadth of the state," said Bright.

Idea has recently launched a new brand campaign taking the lead in announcing its readiness for MNP. This service entitles a mobile subscriber to switch from the existing cellular service provider to any other operator, while retaining the mobile number. Idea will enable MNP on its network to allow mobile subscribers to '‘Switch to Idea', starting January 20, 2011.