Don't artificially control spectrum availability: Airtel

Kolkata, April 10 (IANS) Telecom Major Bharti Airtel said Tuesday there should not be any "artificial control" over the 3G and 4G spectrum allocation and that the services would become more affordable for consumers when enough spectrum was available to operators.

"Prices are also a function of the input cost. Therefore spectrum availability in adequate quantity at affordable prices is also a function of how prices (of devices and services) will happen," Bharti Airtel chief executive officer (India and South Asia) Sanjay Kapoor told media persons here.

He was in the city on the occasion of the launch of the firm's 4G services.

With the Kolkata launch, Bharti Airtel became the first player to roll out the services in India.

Kapoor said the spectrums should be available to operators through market mechanism.

"We always request the government that there should be no artificial control on spectrum availability to the operators and it should be available through market mechanism. As long as there is enough spectrum available, I am sure prices will be more affordable as it is today," he stated.

He said as more and more operators launch their services, the prices of the devices will come down.

"Our intention is to make it affordable," Kapoor said.

Cellphone makers in the country earlier asked for a quick price correction in 3G services in India to make it affordable to lower-end consumers.

The 3G technology platform, positioned as "faster" service, was meant to revolutionise mobile experience through high-speed internet, video-calls, interactive gaming and mobile TV.

But the percentage of actual users is lower than what was expected.