Aircel to roll out 3G

Aircel to roll out 3G services in two months

Mobile service provider Aircel will roll out 3G services within another 45 to 60 days in all 13 circles depending on Government clearances. The company is also in talks with other operators to ensure 3G services in areas where it does not have licences.

Aircel is a joint venture between Malaysia-based Maxis Communication and the India-based Apollo Hospitals.

While Tata DoCoMo and Reliance are the only two private operators to have begun 3G services, no private operator is currently offering video calling facilities as a part of their 3G portfolio. State-owned BSNL and MTNL are the only operators currently offering video calling as a part of their 3G services.

Aircel, Reliance and Bharti Airtel are the only three companies to have 3G licences in 13 of the 22 telecom circles. Aircel will provide 3G services in 13 circles that include Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kolkata, Kerala, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh (East), West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, North East and Jammu & Kashmir.

Since none of the operators have pan-India licences, it will lead to technological tie-ups.all are in talks with one another and we can take benefits of facilities like intra-circle roaming.

Aircel currently has one such 2G intra-circle roaming tie-up with Tata in one of the 22 telecom circles.

Meanwhile, on MTNL's offer to share its 3G network in Delhi and Mumbai,  two operators, Aircel and Tata, have submitted their bids so far. Bids are likely to be opened by end of this month.