Vodafone to enter Eastern market soon

Kolkata, June 21: With plans to invest US $ two billion in the country this year for expanding its business, Vodafone will soon roll out its services under the new brand in eastern market, including Bihar, NE, and give facelift to Hutch brand.

Speaking to mediapersons today, hutchison Telecom East Limited Vice-President(Sales&Marketing) Asit Sekhar said,''We will enter the new markets in the eastern India which is subject to spectrum allocation by the Department of Telecom(DOT).'' The brand would also be revamped and launched in the eastern market soon. The company has a total of 3 million customers in West Bengal and Kolkata circles.

The company would give existing Hutch networks in the country a complete makeover well ahead of the arrival of Brand Vodafone in 2007-08.

The decision to ramp up Hutch Essar's existing cellular network infrastructure nationally comes in the backdrop of Vodafone Group CEO Arun Sarin's ambitious 1.5 million per month Hutch customer acquisitions target in 2007-08. Vodafone, which acquired a 52 per cent controlling interest in Hutch Essar, is slated to conclude the intregration process by September.

UNI