Bharati Enterprises chairman and managing director Sunil Mittal on Tuesday said the cellular operators offering global standard for mobiles-based services are moving closer to the wireless in local loop operators using code division multiple access technology in terms of costs to the customers.
"By the end of March, when Reliance becomes fully operational with their WLL services, you will see the GSM rates almost matching that of the CDMA," he said.
Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the ongoing Confederation of Indian Industry's Partnership Summit in Hederabad, Mittal pointed out that STD charges for the entire cellular phone industry have been brought down and some more such reductions, especially in the long distance call charges, could be expected shortly.
Individual companies were also working out on reduction in air-time charges and monthly charges. A package for a long-term arrangement spread over say three years could also be offered, he said.
Conceding that CDMA technology did have some advantages, Mittal maintained that GSM was now the "world standard" and had been accepted as the best technology available to the telecom industry.
Barring Europe and some parts of the US and China, it was the technology in use the world over.
He agreed that inter-connectivity among the various cellular players remained "a burning issue", but was confident that this will be amicably settled.
"We at Bharati have an open house policy. Anybody and everybody will be given inter-connectivity," he said and blamed the regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, for the delay in sorting out the matter.
"We will take our fight to the doors of the regulator," he added.
Mittal was confident that pending issues such as the legality, substitutionality and level playing ground referred to Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Authority by the Supreme Court would be sorted out soon.
He described the new year as "a year of consolidation as well as acquisitions" for the cellular phone industry and maintained that the year will once again see growth in three digits.
"We hope to double our subscriber base to 25 million by the end of the year. The price will trigger this growth," he said.
Asked whether the cellular industry was planning any slowdown in view of Reliance entry, Mittal said there was scope for considerable growth in the next five years. The entry of Reliance will only help other players to grow, along with Reliance.
"This is what had happened when MTNL entered the cellular line. Everyone including the media said Bharati will have a difficult time with the entry of MTNL in Delhi, but we started adding 20,000 customers a month after MTNL's entry," he said.