Bharti Slashes 4G Device Prices

In an effort to push 4G services, India's largest operator by size and subscribers, Bharti Airtel Ltd. has dropped the prices of 4G devices in both Kolkata and Bengaluru.

The company had launched 4G services in Kolkata and Bengaluru earlier this year. The 4G multi-mode dongle and Wifi gateway were earlier priced at INR 7,999 (US$155.9) and INR 7,750 ($151.1) respectively. Both these devices will now cost INR 4,999 ($89.72) each. The new device prices can be seen on the company website. The tariff for using 4G services remains unchanged.

Bharti's Director of Network Services Group, Jagbir Singh had earlier hinted at a slow response of 4G services in both the cities, which appears to be the key reason for the price reduction of 4G devices. (See .)

"This [4G] is a very new technology, not just new for India but globally as well. Initially it takes about two years just to educate customers so the pickup is happening but it is slow for sure. Besides, you have to consider that we dont have any handsets. If we had [launched] handsets, we would have sold thousands of connections on day-one itself," Singh told Light Reading India in a recent interaction.

High cost of 4G devices is a key concern for the slow uptake of the services in the country and Bharti clearly wants to leverage on the early-mover advantage. It had recently acquired stake in Qualcomm Inc.'s 4G venture and is likely to launch 4G services in the metro cities of Mumbai and Delhi by end of year. (See 4 Cheers For Bharti!)

Gagandeep Kaur, Editor, Light Reading India