Idea Cellular has launched its 3G services in Delhi and Kolkata, 
even though the company doesn’t have the 3G licenses for the respective regions. This is through an intra-circle network sharing agreement between Idea with Vodafone (which has licenses for both the metro cities) according to Telecom Talk. It also states that a reader can access Idea’s 3G network from a Vodafone connection in UP (West).


Just recently Vodafone itself made an Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) arrangement with Idea and Airtel to provide its subscribers in the southern state of Kerala with 3G services. Such tie-ups were bound to happen since not even a single telecom company had won the rights to all India 3G coverage. The future may see many such tie-ups between companies in order to bring their services in circles where they don’t hold licenses for providing 3G services.

Here’s a table showing the usage based Post-paid plans available in Kolkata and Delhi 






Idea is offering two additional 3G plans in Kolkata which provide the users with 12GB and 50GB of data. While all the other plans are valid for 30 days, the 12GB plan has a validity of 90 days and the 50GB plans validity is for 125 days. Additionally as per an offer valid till 31st July, 2011, users in Kolkata will get double the amount of data mentioned in their plans (not applicable on the 12GB and 50GB plan). 

What’s worth noting however, is the fact that tariff plans offered by Idea are comparatively cheaper. According to the their respective websites, In Delhi, for prepaid subscribers, Idea is offering 200 MB data for Rs 102 and 500 MB data for Rs 198, while Vodafone offers 100MB data for Rs 109 and 500MB data for Rs 375. Also, Idea will charge 5p/10kb for usage after the bundled data allowance, while Vodafone charges 10p/10kb. Similarly in Kolkata, Idea is offering 200MB data allowance for Rs 103, while Vodafone offers 100MB for the same price. We observe the same in 3G dongle tariffs or Mobile broadband tariffs . While 2GB data costs Rs 598 on Idea prepaid, Vodafone charges Rs 650 for 1GB data, in Delhi circle.


- This implies that Idea is offering cheaper data plans, when it’s using Vodafone’s network. So ideally, shouldn’t Vodafone’s own customers get comparable or cheaper tariffs? Or maybe the network sharing agreement is based on some specific terms, most probably keeping in consideration the spectrum acquisition cost in each circle, which enable Idea to offer cheaper data.

- In the MNP era, will this not result in subscribers porting to other networks for cheaper data tariffs, since voice tariffs are anyways at parity? Also, if as a Vodafone customer, I get to access the same network with cheaper tariffs, why would I not mind porting to Idea?

- Like we said earlier, why not let the market forces determine spectrum cost and allow players to share spectrum, when they are already doing it via Intra circle roaming arrangements?

Meanwhile, the TRAI has issued a notification directing all mobile phone service providers to specifically mention, the cities and states in which 3G services have been made available while advertising them, reports Livemint. The regulatory body issued the notification, after it received several consumer complaints related to telcos not being able to provide 3G services in their service areas.

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