Videocon to rollout 4G services next year
06 Dec 2012
Telecom operator Videocon Mobile Services will roll out fourth generation (4G) services across all is newly-won circles next year.
The company, a part of the Rs25,000-crore Videcon Group, had received spectrum across six circles - Uttar Pradesh (East), Uttar Pradesh (West), Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana - in the recently concluded spectrum auction.
It had lost 21 licences after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences awarded by former telecom minister A Raja in February this year.
"We will get spectrum in January and we expect to roll out our LTE services in six circles by middle of 2013. We will have spectrum across seven circles (including Punjab) constituting a high population footprint in India. These are also the areas where we enjoy a strong position already and where we see the highest potential for continued growth and profitability," Videocon Mobile Services director and CEO Arvind Bali said.
The company, which had launched GSM operations in Punjab two years ago, will invest an additional Rs 800 crore for improving network coverage and deployment of technology over the next three years.
"We intend to cover 45 per cent of India's population after rolling out services in these circles as these are the areas where we enjoy a strong position already and where we see the highest potential for continued growth and profitability. Our focus will be on youth and high end customers," he said without divulging detail about investment proposed for this venture.
"The spectrum won by Videocon in the recent auction is paired and liberalised. This spectrum can be used to roll out next generation networks and services by adapting a highly spectrally efficient 4G technology LTE," he added.