Banking on a higher data penetration, Vodafone India is looking to add new subscribers in Kolkata, Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman. The company has over the last few months invested in boosting its 3G network here.
Over 400 new 3G sites have been added. Vodafone has both 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz spectrum here.
For Vodafone, the region includes the telecom circles of Kolkata and Rest of Bengal (RoB) along with Sikkim and Andaman.
According to Anand Sahai, Business Head, Kolkata & West Bengal, the company has seen a near 100 per cent growth in data services here.
In Kolkata, data account for 9.8 per cent or around ₹100 crore of the ₹1,008 crore revenues it reported in the first nine months of this fiscal (April-Dec).
Data contributes around 4.2 per cent (or approximately ₹60 crore) of its revenues in the ROB circle. Revenues in the ROB circle for the nine-month period is to the tune of ₹1,432 crore.
“We have added around 406 new BTS’ (called sites) over the last three months. This will boost our 3G networks here. Around 324 sites have in added in Kolkata, while some 82 more have come up in the rest of the State and Sikkim,” he said.
It had approximately, 1,665 3G-enabled and 2,200 2G sites in Kolkata. In RoB (including Sikkim and Andaman) the numbers 6,600 2G sites and 506 3G sites. Vodafone has a 3G licence in both Kolkata and RoB circles.
Most of the new (site) additions have been in parts of North and South Kolkata. In RoB circles, additions were in Tier-II towns of Darjeeling, Murshidabad, East Midnapore and in the neighbouring State of Sikkim.
Sources indicate that Vodafone’s 3G network covers some 80 per cent of its areas in Kolkata. While in urban, semi-urban and rural areas of RoB it mostly has 2G networks. 3G services are available in major towns only.
Vodafone has a subscriber base (prepaid and post-paid included) of approximately 16.4 million users across Kolkata, Rest of Bengal including Sikkim. Nearly 5 per cent of this are post-paid users.