~The telco plans to rollout 4G LTE FDD services in 29 key cities across
UPE, UPW and Bihar utilising the entire spectrum & offer voice on overlay
Network in these cities~
~The telco will become the first telecom operator in the country to roll
out 4G LTE FDD on 1800 Mhz band ~
~Plans to invest over Rs1200 Cr for rollout of 4G services in these
circles in next 3 years~
~Talking about its pricing strategy, the telco plans to offer 4G data at
2G/3G rates to ensure early adoption ~
New Delhi, February 19,
2015: Videocon Telecom, the
versatile, friendly and dynamic telecom brand of the $4 billion worth Videocon
Group continues its innovative and consumer-centric approach talked about its
rollout out plan in UPE, UPW and Bihar Telecom circles. The telco which holds
5Mhz liberalized spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band in the circles plans to utilize
the entire spectrum for rollout of 4G LTE services in 29 key cities and offer
voice on overlay network in these select cities. In remaining coverage area,
the telco shall offer 2G voice on own network.
The strategy being adapted by
the telco is to play low in the cluttered and hyper competitive Voice market
and straightway debut in the high potential data market taking the first mover
advantage. As per the telco, 4G LTE FDD technology is very efficient on 1800
MHz and allows greater speeds & accommodates higher subscriber base to
provide an unmatched customer experience. This will also give telco the
distinction of being the first telco to offer 4G LTT FDD services on 1800 Mhz
in the country with digital voice.
The telco will be making an
investment of over Rs 1200 Cr in next 3 years for 4G rollout in 29 cities
across these 3 circles. The telco will be rolling out 6 cities in phase 1, 12
cities in phase 2 and another 11 cities on phase 3 covering the key potential
cities across these circles. The telco is working closely with Deloitte as
their consulting partner and Huawei & NSN as their technology partner, who
are also telco’s partners in their existing operations.
Among the other opportunities
that the telco is foreseeing include ICR arrangement with other telco for 4G
data, which could come as an added business line for them or/and barter for
voice ICR. The telco which has recently bagged the class A PAN India ISP license
plans to prioritize its ISP roll out in these circles to offer Wifi off-loading
for its 4G data services.
The telco plans to offer 4G
data at 2G/3G rates to encourage early adoption, and will be offering bundled
devices as well.
Speaking about the
announcement, Arvind Bali, Director & CEO, Videocon Telecom said, “Mobile
telephony is now over 20 years old now in the country, with still predominantly
Voice play. Having lost the momentum that we built in 2010, we re-entered the
industry just 2 years back. The voice market is already skimmed, with the
incumbents in a dominating position having acquired a sizeable base of stable,
loyal and high usage subscribers. Given the market dynamics, it doesn’t make
sense for a new Telco to compete in the voice domain with ever shrinking
margins & high cost.
Further, 5Mhz spectrum is not
enough to accommodate both Voice and Data. Looking at all the possibilities, we
have strategized to look at the opportunity differently & utilize the
entire 5Mhz liberalized spectrum for rollout of 4G data services in select
key cities and offer voice on overlay network in these cities. In other
cities/towns, we will be offering voice on our Network.
Our strategy now is to take
the first mover advantage on data & do what we couldn’t do on voice having
missed the bus. This will also give is the distinction of being the first telco
to offer 4G LTT FDD services on 1800 Mhz in the country.
We plan to invest over Rs
1200 Cr in the next 3 years for rollout of 4G services in these 3 circles, and
with this, we also plan to prioritize our ISP rollout in these circles to
compliment 4G”.
We will be offering bundled
4G devices including Myfi dongles”. Mr Bali added
About Videocon Telecom
Videocon Telecom, the next-generation GSM mobile
service network was launched by Rs. 25,000 crore Videocon Group. The
company has partnered with global technology leaders to create a robust
infrastructure featuring future ready mobile technologies. Powered by the most
advanced GSM-EDGE network, Videocon Telecom aims to redefine the Indian mobile telecommunications
industry by leveraging a combination of the parent company’s strong brand
recall and retail reach with a spirit of innovation and customer centricity.
Videocon endeavours to transform the life of every Indian consumer by changing
the very paradigm of the way he or she communicates.
Videocon Telecom today symbolizes the
market innovations and customer offerings rooted in the demands and needs of
the Indian consumer. Videocon Telecom has notched up a subscriber base of over
9 million subscribers within 2 years of operations, a testament to the brand’s
customer focused strategy. The company has invested significantly in research
and development as well as in customer service to offer consumers innovative
products and a superlative experience.