Airtel contemplates Lanka venture
By agencies   |   Friday, 04 August 2006, 19:30 IST
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KOLKATA: IndiaÂ’s largest private cellular provider, Bharti Group, is likely to unleash its cellular services in Sri Lanka through a company owned by Bharti Airtel, a leading newspaper reports. This would be the groupÂ’s first international foray, which would not be under the banner of Bharti Global, if it secures the mobile license from Sri LankaÂ’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. However, itÂ’s uncertain whether Bharti Airtel would float a 100 percent offshore division in Lanka or decide on a joint venture with a Lankan associate. Bharti has operations in Seychelles through Telecom Seychelles, which is a subsidiary of Bharti Global. Additionally, it is understood to even out 2G/3G mobile services in the overseas tax haven of Jersey Telenet-a subsidiary of Bharti Global. Presently, Sri Lanka has four cellular service providers-Dialog Telekom, Mobitel,CellTel of Luxembourg and Hutchison Telecom.

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