Idea to cover 100 towns in MP, Chattisgarh

Idea Cellular has chalked out a plan to cover more than 100 towns in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Chhattisgarh in 2004-05. At present, it covers 75 towns in the two states, together. The company has also announced a new tariff structure for Madhya Pradesh.

Chief Executive Officer Vikram Mehmi says Idea has plans to install 100 cell sites in the current financial year. This will increase the number of cell sites to 300.

"We already have attained a base of 400,000 subscribers in the state and we have added 100,000 subscribers in just 150 days," Mehmi said. The company had a subscriber base of 300,000 in March 2004, which reached 400,000 by August 2004.

Announcing the new tariff structure for MP and Chhattisgarh, Mehmi said under the "buzz post-paid plan", Idea was offering STD calls at the minimum rate of Rs 1.99 per minute, and local outgoing calls at Rs 0.99 per minute. Under the pre-paid plan, the calls are now cheaper and lowest at Rs 1.75 per minute.

The company has plans to set up a main switching centre in Bhopal and upgrade its switches in Raipur, Jabalpur, and Indore.

The company has more than 8,000 retailers and 24 units of "IDEA N U Showroom" the largest network of dealers and franchisees in the circle.

According to the Cellular Operators Association of India, two out of five mobile subscribers use Idea services.

The company claims to have 50 per cent of the market in the GSM network.