Reliance Communication launches 3G services in four cities

CHANDIGARH : Reliance Communications, a part of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Monday launched its third generation (3G) mobile phone services in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chandigarh with wider applications choice at much greater speeds.
The company also announced that it will launch 3G services across its 13 telecom circles by the end of this fiscal, while targeting a national footprint in association with some other operators in the rest of the nine circles during the next year.
'The launch of Reliance 3G is an integral part of our 'Vision 2015' of a wire-free India built on an affordable-for-all platform, simplified tariffs, personalised services and content-rich portfolio,' said Syed Safawi, chief executive of wireless with the company.
According to him, the 3G services will offer features such as video-calling, mobile TV, video streaming and applications access at super-fast speeds on a wide variety of both mobile phone and personal computing devices.
The company has also lined up packages on a daily basis starting from Rs.10 and beyond depending on the application and content requirement of the customer. Subscribers will also have the option to pay based on per-use, per-second or per-week basis.
The company said that it has also forged pacts with Universal Music for content, Nokia and Ericsson for applications and Motricity for web portal. Existing subscribers will be automatically upgraded to 3G services if they have a 3G-enabled smart phone.
On video-calling, the company said that they are awaiting the government's permission to launch the service in the country. It is optimistic about getting the clearances along with other operators.
'We are fully ready to launch video-calling as soon as we have the government clearance along with all the other operators,' said Mahesh Prasad, president of the company.
The company currently holds 3G licences in telecom circles of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharasthra, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, North East, Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa and Assam.
Part of the $13.6 billion Anil Ambani group, Reliance Communications says it ranks among the top four telecom companies in the world in terms of subscribers in a single country with a customer base of over 124 million.