Bharti Airtel offers its network to foreign carriers

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel is offering global long-distance carriers the option of using the Airtel network within India rather than taking a licence and rolling out their own networks here. Even for those international players who have already obtained a licence in India, Bharti is looking at partnering them by allowing these players to use its network.

The company is also carrying out an advertising and marketing campaign across global markets called ���India with Airtel���, where it offers to partner with any carrier that wants to enter India.

���We actually see the entry of many foreign carriers in India as a market opportunity rather than a threat. International carriers bring more customers with them. Since these new players cannot replicate the capabilities of the domestic players, we see huge business opportunities here.

We are open to them hosting services within our network. We are also looking to offer network to network interface���we will provide them the access lines to connect to their customers here,��� explained Bharti Airtel���s president for Enterprise Services, David Nishball. Bharti has a local network spanning over 75,000 route km of fibre including intra-city fibre covering more than 500 cities.

According to Mr Nishball, Bharti���s move to unveil the ���India with Airtel��� initiative in January 2008 was due to the fact that the company had foreseen the requirements of international payers who wanted to enter India in the future.