Telecom player Bharti Airtel Ltd on Thursday announced the launch of its Platinum 3G services in Ahmedabad, which will be rolled out across the state over the next few weeks.
Airtel had offered 3G services to its customers in Gujarat through its intra-circle roaming agreement with other telecom providers. "The company has been awarded the licence for its Gujarat circle in the last auctions. With the launch of our own Platinum 3G service, we will be able to service our customers better and increase the number of users in our network," said Murthy Chaganti, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel-Gujarat circle.
The company currently has about 80 lakh customers in Gujarat, with 4.5 lakh customers using the existing 3G service. "We will allow all our existing 3G customers to switch to Platinum 3G, which will give enhanced voice as well as data connectivity at existing 3G tariffs," said Chaganti.
According to company officials, the data speed is likely to be three-five times higher than the existing service. The service is currently being launched in different cities in the state, and the entire state will be brought under coverage gradually.
Chaganti said the company earns about Rs 400 crore per quarter, which will grow after the launch of Platinum 3G. "In Gujarat, our business is growing at double-digit rates. And with the latest launch, we expect it to further improve," he added.