The Hindu Business Line : Airtel launches fixed wireless services

MR SANJAY KAPOOR, Joint President, Mobility, Bharti Airtel Ltd (left), and Mr Hemant Sachdev, Director, Marketing & Communications, at the launch of the wireless home phone service in the Capital on Thursday. — Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi , July 6

Country's largest private cellular operator Bharti Airtel on Thursday launched fixed wireless phone (FWP) service, which offers local calls to a mobile subscriber at fixed line telephone charges of 40 paise a minute. The move is aimed at countering the Reliance Communication and Tata Teleservices whose CDMA based fixed wireless telephones have become quite popular with nearly one million subscribers across the country. Bharti Airtel will use the GSM technology to offer FWP. This also completes Bharti's service portfolio as an integrated telecom services provider.

FWP is like a fixed line telephone suited for home use, except that there is no wire linked to the phone. The communication happens through the air interface using cellular technology. FWP have bulkier terminals like that of a wire line phone but the utility is like that of a mobile phone. The Government has clubbed FWP as a mobile phone service for regulatory purpose.

Airtel also launched its tariff plan for the FWP services called `Airtel Mega', which offers local calls to mobiles at 40 paise a minute and Rs 1.20 a minute if the call is made to a fixed line telephone. The difference in tariff is due to the fact that operators have to pay higher access charges and termination charges in the case of fixed line telephones. All STD calls will be charged at Rs 2.40 per minute. In comparison, Reliance Communications had recently launched a plan, whereby, users can make STD calls to another Reliance users at Rs 1.20 for a three-minute call.

Mr Sanjay Kapoor, Joint President (Mobility), Bharti Airtel Ltd, said: "The fixed line market in India is currently underserved especially in smaller towns and villages, largely on account of inadequate infrastructure. Through Airtel Mega, we intend to make available home phones to all customers." The company plans to roll out FWP services across 4,000 towns and villages.

Both pre-paid and post-paid tariff schemes are available. As an introductory offer Airtel is giving 150 minutes of free calls to another Airtel subscriber every month, 50 SMS in the first month of subscription at no cost, and free Hello Tunes subscription in the first month.