Airtel is planning to provide 3G services in 50 towns in Andhra Pradesh and 500 across the country during the current financial year and is making all arrangements towards that end, according to Mr Sharlin Thayil, Chief Executive Officer of Bharati Airtel in Andhra Pradesh.

He was speaking here on Wednesday after inaugurating 3G services here. “We have launched the service in Hyderabad three weeks ago and today in Vizag. We will cover roughly 50 more towns during the current financial year in the State. We will go to Vijayawada and Guntur next and then Warangal and other places,” he said and added that already one lakh subscribers had opted for the 3G services in the State.

He said the company had a strong 2 million base of mobile customers making use of 3G services in the country and it was bound to grow by leaps and bounds.

Airtel would cover 500 more towns in the country during 2011-12.

He said Airtel currently had 16.5 million customers in Andhra Pradesh and a substantial number of them would choose 3G services.

Cell towers

“We have 10,000 cell towers in Andhra Pradesh and are increasing them to provide quality service to our customers. Our tariff is also very reasonable and competitive,” he said.

Mr Murali Kittu, Chief Operating Officer, spoke about the services offered by the company.

“As broadband penetration is low in India, mobile Internet usage acquires great importance.

"We are offering seamless integration of popular 3G services such as mobile TV, high-definition gaming, Internet access and video calls.

"A hundred TV channels can be accessed through the mobile phone,” he said.

The company would also provide its customers with timely updates and alerts on their data usage and helps them control expenditure, he added.