At a time when 3G service providers are
fiercely competing to gain marketshare for the next generation service, BSNL
stands out among the top 3G operators in India, with 3.4 million users till
date.

 

The other leading 3G operators in India are Bharti
Airtel, Reliance Communications, Tata Docomo, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, Aircel
and MTNL.

 

BSNL expanded its 3G presence to more than 700 towns and
cities across the country. Its 3G subscriber-base crossed 3.4 million users,
according to senior BSNL officials.

 

This news comes as a surprise, especially since BSNL has
been criticized in recent months for not being able to capitalize on its
first-mover advantage of 3G spectrum two years ago.

 

For a long time since private operators launched 3G,
state-run BSNL and MTNL were unable to compete, as subscribers had more faith
in private operators due to their schemes and content offerings.

 

In terms of 3G services revenue, BSNL’s
earning varies between 30-60 percent depending on the type of 3G services
subscribed by customers.

 

BSNL has the largest
3G network in India. It plans to add 170 towers in the congested
areas. The recent launch of BSNL 3G services in J&K also spells hope.

 

Besides,BSNL is
considered to be the preferred mobile service operator in Andhra Pradesh
telecom circle, as well. It introduced a new prepaid plan called -Venela-Match’
in Andhra Pradesh. This new plan comes with two packs priced at Rs. 28 for 2G
and Rs.24 for 3G.

 

BSNL also recently launched 3G services in Kerala with an
investment of Rs 650 crore.  

 

There have been more than 74,000 migrations into BSNL GSM
network (2G/3G) from other operators in recent months, and it is expected that
its current 3G subscriber base will further widen with the expansion of
services.

 

By Abhilasha Sharma
[email protected]