Reliance Communication (RCom) will launch 3G services in 140 cities across the 13 circles it has 3G licences for, by March 31.
A spokesperson for RCom said, “In the first phase we are targeting to reach people in 140 cities with our 3G services by March.” However, he did not elaborate on the company’s plans for the second phase.
RCom has spectrum rights in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, the North East, Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa and Assam. It has already launched services in more than ten cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, and Srinagar.
Another operator, Aircel, which launched its 3G services on Wednesday, also plans to cover an equal number of cities in 13 circles by the end of March.
The service providers’ plans indicate that 3G services will reach even tier two cities faster than expected.
Tata Docomo, Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, BSNL, MTNL, and S Tel are other service providers who have 3G spectrum rights. Of these, only S Tel and Vodafone are yet to launch services. BSNL, which got 3G spectrum licences one year prior to private operators, has already rolled out services in 700 cities and has announced that it will cover 760 cities by March 31.