Broadband India

Update: 3G Association meet at New Delhi

For the first time, an India – Bharti-Airtel’s founder and Chairman, Sunil Mittal was inducted on the board of 3G Association. Sunil stepped up to host the 3G Association conference in India @ New Delhi.

Some of the key highlights from the meet are as follows.

• Their are 2 Billion GSM users in the World. GSM Telcom operators took little over 12 years to achieve the first Billion subscriptions mark, while the second billion was achieved in mere 2 and half years span.
• China is the worlds single largest GSM Market with 370 million users. Russia comes second at 143 million and India growing at more than 35% YoY, ranks third with 83 million GSM subscribers.
• Dayanidhi Maran told that India has the highest GSM mobile growth rate and cheapest call rates. Sure it does Maran called for cheaper international roaming rates, which the operators have to look upon now.
• Maran argued that spectrum was scarce & favoured charging fees for 3G licenses, while Bharti’s Sunil Mittal was not in favour of any additional fees for 3G services and quoted how our neighbors, Pakistan & Bangladesh have migrated to superior 3G networks.