Hyderabad: With the adoption of 4G handsets by Indian mobile users continued to be low, market leader Bharti Airtel is improvising its 3G network by providing the third generation technology services on 900 MHz. The telecom major on Thursday launched its Platinum 3G network for customers in Hyderabad and Punjab as part of its nation-wide plan. Earlier, it had launched in Mumbai, Kolkata, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, etc.
According to Mr Venkatesh Vijayraghavan, CEO, Bharti Airtel, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Platinum 3G would boost indoor coverage, enhance voice clarity, deliver faster internet speeds and offer a superior network experience for customers. Platinum 3G is powered by dual band spectrum of both 900 Mhz and 2100 Mhz. This service does not require any additional subscription and is part of the network enhancement of Airtel’s existing 3G network.
The use of dual bands of spectrum as still a huge number of people are yet to shift to 4G handsets. Currently, only 10-12 per cent of smartphones bei-ng used by mobile users are 4G-enabled, according to a report by Kotak Institutional Equities. It may require another three to four years for all smartphone users to shift to 4G network as people tend to take some time to replace their existing handsets.
However, the sales statistics makes telecom majors hopeful. According to IDC’s India monthly smartphone tracker, 4G based smartphone accounted for more than half of smartphones shipped in October. “This gain is mainly at the expense of 3G enabled handsets as vendors are replacing their existing models with 4G based smartphones while making consumers future proof.”
