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R.Y. Narayanan

Coimbatore , Aug. 11

BHARTI Cellular Ltd, mobile telephone service provider of AirTel brand in Tamil Nadu circle, plans to expand its network to 330 towns in the region by the end of this financial year.Currently, its network covers 160 towns.

Bharti Cellular's Tamil Nadu circle, in which the company has already invested nearly Rs 280 crore, figures among the mobile telephone circles receiving the highest financial allocation among the circles in the Bharti group.

This is in view of the high growth potential despite mobile telephone tariff in the State being very low in the country.

Mr Ramgopal Vallath, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Bharti Cellular, Tamil Nadu Circle, Coimbatore, said the company plans to expand its network to 330 towns by the end of March 2005. Describing the planned roll-out by his company as the biggest seen by Tamil Nadu and one of the biggest seen in the country, he said every town with a population of above 10,000 would have access to mobile telephones.

The expansion plans had been based on feedback from customers. Among the towns to be covered are Ramanathapuram, Theni, Sivaganga, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Tiruvannamalai. Coverage will also be enhanced in areas in and around Coimbatore, Pollachi and Udamalpet, providing better voice clarity.

He said at present, the company has a near 15 per cent market share of the GSM mobile and CDMA service in Tamil Nadu and its subscriber base is around three lakh. The goal is to double the number by the end of the year and the company wants to be the biggest operator by the end of this fiscal.

Explaining the reasons for drawing up such huge investment plans in spite of the fact that the mobile telephone tariff in the State is among the lowest in the country, he said Tamil Nadu figures among the top three or four States in terms of GDP growth and there is potential for further growth.

Bharti Cellular's Tamil Nadu circle is among the circles receiving the highest proportionate fund allocation in the Bharti group due to this reason, Mr Vallath added.

More Stories on : Telecommunications | Tamil Nadu

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