Idea Cellular to spend Rs. 3,500 crore in networks; 3G in Delhi by 2015.

Telecom operator Idea Cellular said that it will invest Rs. 3,500 crore in building network and launching 3G service in Delhi next year.

'The capex guidance for FY 2015 stands at Rs. 35 billion, excluding any spectrum related payments,' Idea Cellular said.

Idea rolled out 3,178 2G cell sites and 1,477 3G cell sites during the the fourth quarter of the last fiscal, taking the network site count for 2G to 104,778 and 21,381 for 3G sites.

In the spectrum auction held in February, the company won 5 megahertz of spectrum in 900 MHz band in Delhi service area which it will use to launch 3G services in the national capital next year.

'The company intends to launch 3G services in Delhi in calendar year 2015 on the recently acquired 900 MHz spectrum. Post Delhi 3G service launch, the 3G foot-print of Idea will cover about 80 per cent of its current revenue and about 57 per cent of national mobile industry revenue,' a company statement said.


ET