Big-bang roll-out: Bharti Airtel offers 4G services at 3G prices in 296 towns

New Delhi: Bharti Airtel today announced the commercial launch of 4G services in 296 towns across India after testing the market in select cities. The telecom company launched first 4G network in India in Kolkata in April 2012. [caption id=“attachment_2177543” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Going ahead with 4G. Reuters[/caption] “Now, customers across the country will be able to experience high speed wireless broadband on Airtel 4G and get on to the digital superhighway to enjoy uninterrupted HD video streaming, superfast uploading and downloading of movies, music and images. “Airtel 4G is available to customers across a range of smart devices including mobile phones, dongles, 4G hotspots and Wi-Fi dongles,” Airtel said in a statement. Announcing the launch, Bharti Airtel (India & South Asia) MD & CEO Gopal Vittal said: “…We have now built India’s first commercial 4G network that will make high speed mobile broadband a reality. The national roll-out today is another small step in our journey.” Airtel also announced the launch of a new carrier agnostic mobile app ‘Wynk Movies’ that offers a library of thousands of movies and other popular videos. This follows the successful launch of Wynk Music and establishes Airtel as the only mobile operator in India to offer OTT (Over-the-Top) mobile applications that work across carriers, Airtel said. To opt for Airtel 4G, customers have to switch to a 4G SIM. Airtel said it will offer 4G at 3G prices. “Airtel customers can enjoy 4G at 3G data prices with packs starting at Rs 25. In addition, with every 4G SIM swap, Airtel is offering six months of unlimited music streaming and downloads on ‘Wynk Music’ and five free movies per month for six months on the Eros Now channel of ‘Wynk Movies’,” the company said. Bharti Airtel has ramped up its 4G push ahead of the anticipated entry of cash-rich Reliance Industries Ltd, which plans to start pan-India 4G services in December. A rising proliferation of cheap smartphones has boosted demand for mobile data as more and more Indians demand faster downloads and use their handsets to access the Internet. The number of mobile web users in India is expected to grow by around 28 percent annually between 2013 and 2017 and reach 314 million by the end of 2017, according to a report released by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and KPMG. PTI & Reuters