Mobile service operator Aircel, which is on a pan-India expansion mode, is all set to launch its services in Mumbai this week, a development which is expected to trigger tariff war among the nine mobile operators in the city.
Aircel will start services in Mumbai circle this week, industry sources said. The GSM operator started its Delhi operations last month. Both Delhi and Mumbai carry over 60 per cent of the mobile traffic among themselves and the metropolis are the most lucrative markets.
A company spokesperson when contacted said the launch would happen this month.
There are six GSM operators -- Airtel, MTNL, Vodafone Essar, idea, Reliance and BPL -- in Mumbai. Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) offers CDMA services, while Reliance offers on both GSM and CDMA platforms.
New operators Datacom, Swan, Unitech and Loop Telecom are also expected to enter Mumbai as and when they start operations.
Malaysia's Maxis Communications Bhd, which holds 74 per cent stake in Aircel, had earlier announced investment of $10 billion to accelerate its expansion over a period of time.
Aircel now operates in 13 of India's 22 service areas. It has licences already in place for the pan-India service.
Aircel which has a little over 17 million subscribers hopes to end this year with 30 million users.
