Bharti Airtel to invest over $2 bn next fiscal
Bharti Airtel, India's largest private cellular operator, has announced an investment of over two billion dollar (Rs 9,000 crore) in 2007-08 to expand network, but wanted state-run BSNL to share infrastructure.
"Of the total capex for the next financial year, maximum will go for the rural areas," Akhil Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Bharti Airtel, said on the sidelines of a conference organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and Ericsson.
Gupta, however, raised the issue of infrastructure sharing with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, saying this would lead to faster roll out of networks there."I appeal to the government to force BSNL to share its infrastructure with private operators," he said.
BSNL has so far opposed such an arrangement, saying huge investments have gone in creating rural infrastructure and private players should not be allowed to take undue advantage.
Gupta also said the company was waiting for rules to be framed for introduction of next generation (3G) mobile services to start operations both in rural and urban areas.The company has chalked out its rural strategy and would concentrate on rural areas, which have huge growth potential, in the years to come, he said.
Bharti, which has 30 per cent market share in GSM-based industry with 32 million subscribers, would also bring the broadband in rural areas, Gupta said.
He claimed that as on September 2006, Bharti had presence in 155,000 smaller towns as part of its strategy to cover rural India and another 20,000 towns to be added soon.
Bharti would bring the broadband, especially with wireless technology, in rural areas when the policy to start 3G services was announced, he said.
Rural areas have so far been given mainly voice and message services. Wireless broadband had great potential for rural India, he said, adding this would also help the rural community to remain connected.Besides, broadband would also help increase business activity for the farming community, he said.
"Of the total capex for the next financial year, maximum will go for the rural areas," Akhil Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Bharti Airtel, said on the sidelines of a conference organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and Ericsson.
Gupta, however, raised the issue of infrastructure sharing with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, saying this would lead to faster roll out of networks there."I appeal to the government to force BSNL to share its infrastructure with private operators," he said.
BSNL has so far opposed such an arrangement, saying huge investments have gone in creating rural infrastructure and private players should not be allowed to take undue advantage.
Gupta also said the company was waiting for rules to be framed for introduction of next generation (3G) mobile services to start operations both in rural and urban areas.The company has chalked out its rural strategy and would concentrate on rural areas, which have huge growth potential, in the years to come, he said.
Bharti, which has 30 per cent market share in GSM-based industry with 32 million subscribers, would also bring the broadband in rural areas, Gupta said.
He claimed that as on September 2006, Bharti had presence in 155,000 smaller towns as part of its strategy to cover rural India and another 20,000 towns to be added soon.
Bharti would bring the broadband, especially with wireless technology, in rural areas when the policy to start 3G services was announced, he said.
Rural areas have so far been given mainly voice and message services. Wireless broadband had great potential for rural India, he said, adding this would also help the rural community to remain connected.Besides, broadband would also help increase business activity for the farming community, he said.
posted by SY at 7:41 PM
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