The state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) will cover all urban areas in the northeastern region through its third generation (3G) platform, a next generation mobile communications systems, company officials have said.

“For rural areas, WiMAX and WLL EVDO (wireless broadband services) would be introduced very shortly, these services are also more or less similar to 3G,” said BSNL general manager of operations Deb Kumar Chakraborty.

He was addressing reporters in Agartala during the launch of a set of 3G standards defined by the International Telecommunication Union in Tripura and Meghalaya simultaneously Saturday evening.

“BSNL has planned to cover 751 cities by the 3G services by March. The next generation mobile communications systems so far have been launched in 113 cities, including Guwahati and Gangtok,” Chakraborty said.

BSNL, the world’s seventh largest telecom operator, is the first company along with the other state-owned operator, Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL), to launch 3G services in India.

“3G services are not merely targeted at the elite class, but everyone. The tariff is affordable. Subscribers can make a local video call at Rs 1.50 per minute and long distance video call at Rs 2.50 per minute. Data access rate is only 1 paisa per 10 kilobyte,” Chakraborty added.

Addressing reporters in Shillong, BSNL chief general manager Vinod Kumar said the 3G mobile services would be provided for both postpaid and prepaid categories.

“3G telephony would help enhance efficiency in e-governance and competitiveness in the information technology and BPO segments,” Kumar said.

Tripura Industries and Commerce Minister Jitendra Chowdhury said at the 3G launch in Agartala that the service would facilitate economic growth and help the government to provide better services to the people.

source: tech2

NEW DELHI – Bharti Airtel, the country’s largest telecom operator in terms of subscribers, Wednesday said it will launch third generation (3G) mobile telephony services by October 2010.

“If everything goes well on time with regard to spectrum auction, by February or March we should receive spectrum allocation, Bharti Airtel chief executive Manoj Kohli told reporters on the sidelines of a telecom conference here.

“By next Diwali (2010), we will commercially launch 3G services in India,” he added.

The government last week fixed the base price for 3G radio waves at Rs.3,500 crore, down from the previous Rs.4,040 crore.

The government is hopeful of completing the auction within 90 days of the announcement of the base price and of earning about Rs.25,000 crore from the auction of 3G and WiMax spectrum.

NEW DELHI – The finance ministry has proposed a reserve base price of Rs.4,040 crore for third generation (3G) spectrum auctions and the final announcement could be made in a week, IT and Commmunications Minister A. Raja said Friday.

“It is a proposal by the finance minister. We have discussed the matter with the Prime Minister,” Raja told reporters after meeting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

“The matter will be referred to the GOM (group of ministers) or the CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs),” he added. “We are hopeful of a decision within a week.”

The government, reeling under a burgeoning fiscal deficit pegged at Rs 332,835 crore or 5.5 percent of the GDP, hopes to get some relief from the funds generated through these auctions.

“If you calculate using just the base price at Rs.4,040 crore, the government will earn about Rs.24,240 crore,” said a senior official in the telecom ministry.

“There will be an announcement on these lines in the upcoming union budget also,” the official said.

“Six 3G licenses will be auctioned,” he added.