Reliance Communication launches 3G services in four cities

NEW DELHI - Reliance Communications, a part of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Monday launched its third generation (3G) mobile phone services in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chandigarh with wider applications choices at much greater speeds.

The company also announced it will launch 3G services across its 13 telecom circles by the end of this fiscal, while targeting a national footprint in association with some other operators in the remaining nine circles during the next year.

“The launch of Reliance 3G is an integral part of our ‘Vision 2015′ of a wire-free India built on an affordable-for-all platform, simplified tariffs, personalised services and content-rich portfolio,” said Syed Safawi, the company’s chief executive (Wireless Business).

According to him, the 3G services will offer features such as video-calling, mobile TV, video streaming and applications access at superfast speeds on a wide variety of both mobile phone and personal computing devices.

The company has also lined up packages on a daily basis depending on the application and content requirement of the customer. The company will be promoting a try-and-buy policy wherein the applications will be available starting for as low as Rs.1. However, the tariff for the 2G and SMS services will remain unchanged.

The pricing of the 3G mobile TV will range from Rs.10 to Rs.50 per day depending on the number of channels offered.

Under the monthly plan offered by the company, 3G mobile data will be available for the customers for Rs.100 for 100 MB and Rs.2,100 for 21 GB.

The company said it has also forged pacts with Universal Music for content, Nokia and Ericsson for applications and Motricity for web portal. Existing subscribers will be automatically upgraded to 3G services if they have a 3G-enabled smart phone.

On video-calling, the company said it was awaiting the government’s permission to launch the service in the country. It is optimistic about getting the clearances along with other operators.

“We are fully ready to launch video-calling as soon as we have the government clearance along with all the other operators,” said company president Mahesh Prasad.

The company currently holds 3G licences in the telecom circles of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharasthra, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa and Assam.

Part of the $13.6 billion Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group, Reliance Communications says it ranks among the world’s top four telecom companies in terms of subscribers in a single country with a customer base of over 124 million.