The Hindu Business Line : Bharti to double tower capacity

Cellular operator Bharti Airtel will double the tower capacity to 80,000 by March next as it grows its network to reach more towns and cities across the country, besides expanding in metros. “Currently there are 40,000 towers and by this year-end, we would be doubling the capacity to a total of 80,000 towers. This will be the single largest roll out by any company in one year. We promise very good coverage to our subscribers in the next 18 months,” Mr Sunil Bha rti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises, said on the sidelines of a marketing summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry. Most of the new towers would come up in new rural areas, he said, adding that in the last one year the company had set up 20,000 new towers. The cellular major, in which Singapore Telecom holds 31 per cent stake, has already announced its decision to spend Rs 4,300 crore to expand transmission towers. The company also plans to sell shares in the tower subsidiary to investors. Bharti’s tower spending is part of a plan to spend as much as Rs 14,000 crore this year on network expansion to maintain its lead over Reliance and Vodafone Essar. —

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