Telecom operator Idea has launched (pdf) its 4G services in 5 south Indian states; Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The initial launch will cover 75 towns including Mysore, Kochi, Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam, followed by other towns like Belgaum, Calicut, Guntur and Trichur by the 31st of December. Metro cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mangalore and Chennai will have to wait a while, as 4G services will be launched there by March 2016. Idea also plans to launch in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra & Goa, North East, Punjab, Haryana and Orissa, in a phased manner by March. By June next year, it expects to cover 750 cities and 10 telecom circles. The 4G services will be launched on the 1800 Mhz band, spectrum that Idea had acquired in 11 circles including Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mumbai, North East and Punjab. The operator had won additional 1800 MHz spectrum in this year’s auctions held in March. Videocon’s spectrum: Interestingly, last month Idea Cellular entered into an agreement to use spectrum currently with Videocon Telecom in the 1800 MHz band in two key circles, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh (West), for Rs 3310 crore. The company mentions that it will use this spectrum once the deal is complete, extending its reach to 12 telecom circles. 4G features: To use the new services, customers will have to upgrade their existing SIM cards to new 4G SIM cards. The company is currently offering a complimentary 4G SIM…
