Private operators ring NE for growth

MUMBAI: BSNL, the first telecom company to provide services in the northeast region, is facing stiff competition from private telecom companies. Leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel has geared up to upgrade and enhance its GSM mobile service network in Assam and northeast and has earmarked Rs 600 crore to strengthen its network. Close on its heels are Aircel and S Tel.
The northeast region is said to have high level of mobile penetration, with around 25% of the population sporting a cellphone.While Guwahati has mobile penetration to the tune of 50%, even in Mizoram, a huge 89% of the population has mobile telephony, industry sources revealed. In a bid to cater to the growing demand, telecom operators are lining up their wares.
S Tel, a new telecom operator in the lndian marketplace, which recently acquired the UASL and spectrum to operate in six Indian circles���Orissa, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, northeast, Assam and J&K���plans to launch its mobile telephony services in ������the lucrative NE market������.
Shamik Das, CEO of S Tel said, ������It is well-established that improving teledensity provides more economic benefit than any other kind of infrastructure..������ S Tel and Reliance Infratel recently signed an end-to-end telecom infrastructure agreement for telecom towers and fibre backbone for intercity connectivity.
������The move will enhance the mobile penetration in these circles and rapidly bring benefits of technology and communication network to people in the region,������ Das said.
Aircel, a part of Maxis Communications Berhad, Malaysia, is already a lead player in Tamil Nadu. It is now ������keen to become a market leader in Assam and northeast������, said an official, requesting anonymity.
Bharti Airtel, which has invested nearly Rs 3,000 crore in the region over the past two years, plans to go in for an upgrade, said an official.