Bharti Airtel crosses 100 million customers mark

• Becomes the 3rd largest single country mobile services operator in the world and 6th largest single country integrated telco in the world • Announces a series of Network augmentation and Customer service initiatives   •  To roll out over 100,000 BTS sites across the country  •  To establish a State of the Art Customer Service Management Centre.  • 100,000 Airtel Service Centres to be set up in rural India by March 2010 New Delhi, May 15, 2009:  Bharti Airtel, Asia’s leading  Integrated Telecom services provider, today announced that it has crossed the  100 million customers mark. This milestone makes the company the 3rd  largest single country mobile services operator and sixth largest in-country integrated telecom operator in  the world.    “The Indian Telecom sector, seen as providing the most affordable services in the world, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade. We are proud to have led the telecom revolution that made a positive impact on the lives of people in every corner of the country as well as the Indian economy. This remarkable journey to 100 million customers is a testament to the vision and commitment of a company that benchmarks itself with the best in the world”, said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman & Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises. “We dedicate this achievement to the nation. This milestone reiterates the emergence of India as one of the world’s top telecom markets and we are delighted to be at the forefront of its growth. On this occasion, we would like to thank all our customers, partners and the Government of India for their constant support.”    The company had crossed the 75 million customer mark in August 2008 and 50 million mark in October 2007, making it one of the fastest growing telcos in the world. The first 25 million was achieved in July 2006. Bharti Airtel announced a series of network augmentation and customer service initiatives. On the network front, Airtel will roll out 100,000 BTS sites by this year end to set up wider and deeper network coverage across the country. This will improve network quality and resilience; build redundancies and business continuity, to ensure that Airtel customers continue to experience a world-class seamless network for voice and data services. The company is planning to transform its entire fixed line network to IP/Broadband over a phased manner. This transformation will enable Bharti Airtel’s transformation to Next Generation Networks, offering advanced services like High-speed internet, Triple Play, Media-rich VAS, MPLS, VPN for both Retail and Business customers.  On the customer service front, Airtel has started a set of initiatives to empower the customer and currently its Self Service Option over SMS already has over 100 million hits in a month. It is also leveraging cutting-edge technology to build a state of the art Service Management Centre which will dynamically monitor and manage services to ensure that customers are always kept informed proactively.  Around 60% of Airtel’s customer additions come from rural areas. For the rural customers, Airtel has already set up 14,000 Airtel Service Centres and going forward the company is looking at having over 100,000 such centres across the country by March, 2010.

Hello Sri Lanka” says Airtel

Launches 2.5G and 3.5G mobile services Ushers in a new era of affordability and simplicity in mobile services in Sri Lanka

Removes the barriers of peak and off peak call rates, within network and outside network call rates and offers customers freedom to speak. Offers unconditional free incoming calls to all customers 50% lower rates while roaming to India State-of-the-art HSPA technology backed by world-class customer care Fastest mobile network roll-out by any operator in Sri Lanka

Colombo, January 12, 2009: Bharti Airtel Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel – one of the leading integrated telecommunications service providers in Asia, today announced the launch of its mobile services in Sri Lanka under the Airtel brand. The services have been launched on a state-of-the-art 3.5G network.  Airtel has launched a suite of innovative services and redefined affordability by offering attractive call rates. What truly sets these tariff plans apart is the simplicity and ease of understanding for the customer, including features such as unconditional free incoming calls. Airtel’s simple tariffs liberate the customer from the concept of peak and off-peak call rates by offering standard tariffs throughout the day and allowing them to speak freely. For the first time, Sri Lankan mobile customers will not have to bother about within network and outside network calls concept as Airtel will offer uniform call charges to any network. The company will also offer unique and customer relevant Value Added Services. 3.5G services will be available to Airtel customers in Colombo, Kandy and Galle during the first phase of launch. On the occasion Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel said, “We are extremely honoured to present Airtel to Sri Lanka. At Bharti, we have always believed in undertaking business projects that are transformational and have a positive impact on the society at large. Bharti Airtel has also set global benchmarks in telecom services, be it our unique business model based on outsourcing or innovative products and services.”  “We are delighted at being given this opportunity to serve the people of Sri Lanka and contribute to the growth story of the country. It will be Airtel’s sincere endeavour to drive affordability in the Sri Lankan market and empower more and more people to experience the benefits of mobile internet and telephony. We are confident that with our experience of serving around 88 million customers, we will make a positive impact on the telecom landscape of Sri Lanka.” Bharti Airtel plans to invest around USD 200 million in its Sri Lanka operations. In just over an year, the company has commissioned a sizeable state-of-the-art network. This is the fastest network roll-out of its scale by any mobile operator in Sri Lanka. This will enable Bharti Airtel to fulfill its promise of providing world-class mobile services at affordable rates to customers in Sri Lanka.  In line with the innovative business model based on outsourcing that it pioneered, Bharti Airtel has created an ecosystem of partners for its Sri Lanka operations. It has entered into a three-year managed network deal with Huawei, partnered with IBM to manage its comprehensive IT infrastructure and application requirements, and selected iSmart Timex as its customer care partner. Ms. Amali Nanayakkara, CEO, Bharti Airtel Lanka added “We are excited at the prospect of providing customers with greater affordability and superior services as the newest mobile operator in Sri Lanka. Our product offering to customers will also usher in an era of simplified tariffs and customer experience. Bharti Airtel is grateful to all its strategic partners and regulatory bodies including the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka for enabling a speedy and efficient launch.”  The mobile services from Airtel are available with the number prefix 075. Airtel has also launched a glittering campaign across media to mark its launch. The company inaugurated one large Airtel Store on Galle Road in Colombo today to supplement its network of 12,000 retail outlets and 23 Airtel Stores across Sri Lanka. Customers can also reach Airtel on 075 5555555 or visit www.airtel.lk.