Bharti Airtel is working hard to expand the rollout of its 4G services ahead of the launch of new competitor Reliance Jio Infocomm, according to local press reports this week.
The Indian operator aims to make LTE services available in 296 towns in the 14 circles in which it holds 4G spectrum over the next few weeks, the Economic Times said. At present it can offer 4G in 45 cities and towns.
The paper noted that competition is fierce in India, with Bharti having to fend off established rivals like Vodafone and Idea Cellular, as well as preparing for the new entrant. Reliance Jio Infocomm has built up a spectrum portfolio in recent years and plans to launch 4G services in December with a view to reaching nationwide coverage within three years.
Commenting on competition in the market, Bharti Airtel’s India and South Asia chief executive Gopal Vittal told the Economic Times that his company would seek to differentiate through customer experience.
The paper added that Bharti launched its first commercial 4G services in Kolkata in 2012, but since then expansion has been slow.
However, now the operator is under greater pressure to step things up a gear.
