Rahul Gupta

MUMBAI: AirTel, a mobile service provider, is all set to launch GPRS services in Mumbai. The only other service provider in the country, which had commercially launched GPRS services, is BPL mobile, which has around 4,000 customers for its services after one year of the launch.

AirTel plans to launch the GPRS service bundled with different applications. One of the reasons for the lackluster response to GPRS has been the lack of applications and AirTel is now busy testing out a number of applications developed at its lab in suburban Mumbai known as Future Factory. According to sources, the company already has one application ready to be launched along with 2.5 G services.

Atul Jhamb, COO, AirTel said, "After crossing the subscriber mark of one lakh in a short span of time, we are now in a position to provide value added services to our subscribers. And the next move is to launch GPRS services in the region. But since GPRS is not as successful as it was expected, we are going to launch it with different applications."

With all operators now looking to increase their revenues from data services, AirTel’s gameplan is to leverage on its association with 12 odd application developed to come out with four or five innovative services to fuel growth on GRPS front. "We are looking at SMS-based applications to add value to the customer," said Jhamb.

On the other hand, BPL Mobile, which failed to enthuse the corporate market with GPRS offering, is now in talks with banks to latch ATMs to its GPRS network and is looking at other avenues like outsourcing corporate e-mail to BPL. Targeting at its GPRS users, it has recently launched Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) in Mumbai.

GPRS combines the extensive reach of mobile telephony and power of the Internet 24 hours a day by just plugging mobile phone into your home PC, Laptop or Pocket PC or PDA. What's even more unique about GPRS is that it allows users to shuttle between the regular calls and access data simultaneously. It also allows users to do lots more with GPRS without even having to incur the associated dial up PSTN charges.