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FY2007-2008

Bharti Airtel gears up to launch mobile services in Sri Lanka

  • ● Plans to invest USD 200 million in the next five years
  • ● World class 2G and 3G services to be launched by end of FY 2007-08
  • ● Mobile services to be launched under Airtel brand

Colombo, August 15, 2007: The customers in Sri Lanka can look forward to a host of innovative products and services at affordable prices from Airtel’s vast portfolio. Bharti Airtel Lanka Private Limited, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited, one of Asia’s leading integrated telecom services companies, today announced its plans to launch world class 2G and 3G services in Sri Lanka by the end of the current financial year (2007-08). The company also announced its plans to invest approximately USD 200 million in the Sri Lankan market. The mobile services from Bharti Airtel will be launched under the Airtel brand in the Island nation.

According to Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, President, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, “We are committed to offering world-class and affordable 2G and 3G services to customers in Sri Lanka. With mobile penetration of around 30% and growing at a rate of approximately 2 million mobile users per annum, we are excited about our entry into this market. Our plans for Sri Lanka clearly demonstrate our commitment to the market and also our confidence in the potential that this market holds in Airtel’s overseas expansion journey.”

Bharti Airtel, that has been rated among the best performing companies in the world in the BusinessWeek IT 100 list 2007, will invest approximately USD 200 million in setting up and expanding its operation in the country over the next five years. Since the company is currently setting up its operations, a major portion of the committed investment will be made during the next 12 to 18 months. Bharti Airtel was recently awarded the license to provide 2G and 3G mobile services in Sri Lanka.

About Bharti Airtel Limited:

Bharti Airtel Limited, a group company of Bharti Enterprises, is India’s leading integrated telecom services provider with an aggregate of 44.67 million customers as of end of June 2007, consisting of 42.70 million mobile customers. Bharti Airtel has been rated among the best performing companies in the world in the BusinessWeek IT 100 list 2007.

Bharti Airtel is structured into three strategic business units - Mobile services, Broadband & Telephone (B&T) services and Enterprise services. The mobile business provides mobile & fixed wireless services using GSM technology across 23 telecom circles. The B&T business provides broadband & telephone services in 94 cities. The Enterprise services provide end-to-end telecom solutions to corporate customers and national & international long distance services to carriers. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand. Airtel’s high-speed optic fibre network currently spans over 40,000 kms covering all the major cities in the country. The company has two international landing stations in Chennai that connects two submarine cable systems - i2i to Singapore and SEA-ME-WE-4 to Europe. For more information, visit http://www.bhartiairtel.in/