Apple Computer’s iPhone 3G launch in India

Apple Computer’s iPhone 3G launch in India to act as a catalyst for 3G mobile market The launch of the much-awaited iPhone 3G by Apple Computer’s has changed the face of the
Indian telecom market. Priced at US$ 700, the phone will be marketed in India by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar.
The phone offers superior sound quality amongst a host of other impressive features: support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, push services (for email, contacts, calendar) and VPN protocols besides a fullyfunctional
GPS system.
The launch of Apple’s iPhone has also triggered a deluge of smartphones from other companies. Mobile phone makers such as Nokia, Samsung, LG, Blackberry, HTC and Motorola have launched smartphones
which will include a host of high-tech features – full web browsing capabilities over Wi-Fi or high-speed data networks – including touchscreens.
With the launch of Apple iPhone 3G, the market for 3G phones is expected to grow at a phenomenal pace. India is likely to have 270 million 3G subscribers by 2013 according to Research agency Strategy Analytics’

VP, Wireless Practice, David A Kerr. Currently, India is the world’s fastest-growing wireless market with nearly 300 million subscribers.

But actual pricing is much high .Sticker price shock has spoiled the launch party of Apple’s iPhone in India, home to the world’s fastest-growing mobile market.The 3G or third generation phone sells for more than triple its US price tag in India — a new key battleground for makers of high-end mobile handsets thanks to its increasingly affluent middle-class.

The 3G or third generation phone sells for more than triple its US price tag in India — a new key battleground for makers of high-end mobile handsets thanks to its increasingly affluent middle-class.

The eight-gigabyte model of the phone, which includes a built-in iPod and a desktop-class web browser, sells for 31,000 rupees (712 dollars), while the 16 GB version goes for 36,100.

“I like its looks, but at that price I can get something cheaper that does as much.”said vijay one of Tech person .

A spokesman for India’s leading mobile company Bharti Airtel — which is selling the iPhone along with rival Vodafone Essar, owned by Britain’s Vodaphone Group Plc — said it was “not possible to give a (sales) trend.”

But, in what appeared to be an attempt to explain away the low buzz surrounding the product, he said the “iPhone is a very aspirational project — it’s not conceived of as a mass device.”

A manager at one New Delhi phone showroom, who did not want his name used, said sales of the iPhone so far were “not very good. We’ve had a few buyers and people just in to look at it.”

The Indian price is far higher than the 199 dollars paid by US customers to the telecom giant AT&T for the phone. AT&T heavily subsidises the phone and makes money by tying the customer to an expensive annual subscription.

But vendors say they are confident the  Apple gadget will find its place in the Indian market despite the higher price and the fact that India has yet to launch 3G networks needed to support faster browsing and downloads.

Every Indian Will Go to mobile by 2012

Every 2nd Indian will go mobile by 2012
With India now adding 8-10 million mobile subscribers every month, up to half the nation’s population—or
one in every two citizens—will own a mobile phone in India by the middle of 2012.
According to Business Monitor International, a renowned London-based research firm, 612 million mobile
subscribers by 2012 will help India clock a mobile teledensity of roughly 51% by 2012. This scorching pace of growth is unlikely to falter unless the sector faces unforeseen policy disasters or if India’s operators fail to roll out their networks.
International Telecom Union’s (ITU) projections are in the same range.India is already the world’s second largest mobile market, behind China’s 500 plus million mobile subscriber base.
Increasing incomes, changing lifestyles and lower cost of technology are allowing more and more Indians to ride the telecom wave. The new numbers overtake earlier estimates, including from UBS, Citigroup and Credit Suisse,predicting a mobile population of 400-450 million by March 2010. Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers have been more even conservative, betting on a base of just 400 million by 2010.
However, India will reach this milestone in 2009 itself. India’s mobile revolution has been a huge social leveler, with the growing number of users tying a diverse nation in a manner rarely seen before.
Its youth are expected to contribute significantly to these surging numbers. Sir Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group, which tied up with Tata Teleservices to launch branded services in India recently said, “An exciting market, with over 215 million Indians aged 14-25 years. Over the next three years we expect to be adding 50 million new youth subscribers.’’
While companies like Virgin are currently focused on the urban market, it is clear that the next set of growth will come from B and C category cities as well as rural India. Mobile penetration of this magnitude has the ability to revolutionalize long distance learning and health care quickly reaching some of the most far flung and difficult terrains.
Where mobile content is concerned most analysts agree that, largely on the back of India’s popular film industry,music services will grow very quickly, even if other content related revenue lags behind.
Given that a reasonable part of the population by 2010 will be children below 14 and senior citizens, it seems mobile access among the youth and working classes will be more in the range of 70-80%. In policy terms, government needs to quickly turn its focus on redirecting funds for rural mobile access, manage spectrum efficiently and invite multi-billion dollar investments at a pan-India level to fuel this already scorching telecom growth.

India-270 million 3G subscribers by 2013′

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India likely to have 270 million 3G subscribers by 2013′

New Delhi: India is likely to have 270 million 3G subscribers by 2013, becoming the leading 3G market
among emerging countries. Research agency Strategy Analytics’ VP, Wireless Practice, David A Kerr said,
“In terms of subscribers, India is going to be the largest market for 3G users among all emerging
markets…India could have 270 million users subscribing to 3G services by 2013.”
Currently, the country’s overall mobile subscriber base is around 290 million.
The research agency informed that 3G subscribers would account for over one third of the total wireless
subscribers by 2013. In the beginning, most of the subscribers would be from metro and ‘A’ category cities,
with the user base mostly comprising of enterprises and business customers. “India has 700 million
untapped customers and it is very much possible to have 270 million 3G subscribers in next five years,”
revealed Kerr. “At the initial stage corporate and enterprise users as well as tech-savvy young generation
would drive this market,” he added.
The guidelines for 3G services have been issued, and the Government hopes to introduce the services by
December.

Mobile Subscriber In India