Many of us will agree that the expansion of the 3G services in India hasn’t been speedy enough. One of the main reasons behind the snail-paced growth has been the hefty prices. Airtel recently came up with an affordable 3G plan, but other telcos seem reluctant to offer similar less expensive 3G plans. Had the telcos offered the 3G services at affordable prices, scenario would have been definitely different. Nokia, a major player in the market, also believes the telcos should cut down the 3G prices.
While interacting with reporters, Jasmeet Gandhi, Nokia India’s head (services marketing) said the 3G pricing has to be “corrected” to ensure that it is affordable for the lower-end consumers. “A lot of consumers in India want to future proof themselves in terms of technology at the right price point. So when the pricing of 3G will be affordable, they will definitely go for it. And we have seen this happen in many categories,” Gandhi said.
He also pointed out that the 3G technology was believed to “revolutionise” mobile experience by giving high-speed Internet and facilities such as video-calls, interacting gaming and mobile TV. But the actual number of the 3G users is lesser than the expectations. Gandhi, however, turned down speculation that hefty prices of 3G services were hampering the sales of smartphones. “Because people who buy smart phones at the high-end can afford 3G…It is not an issue. I think in smart phones segment 3G penetration is very decent,” he stated, adding Nokia is investing on 3G phones as well.
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