独家
Airtel总经理Gopal Vittal表示，到2023年3月，将在300个城市推出5G，重点关注4G流量高的市场
Vittal在周三的电信公司第三财季收益电话会议上表示:“我们已经看到一些地区的流量从4G转移到5G，这就是我们使用5G的方向。”
不过，他补充说附近的旅馆美国在印度农村地区的5G扩张将取决于设备生态系统成熟的速度。
Vittal在周三的电信公司第三财季收益电话会议上表示:“我们已经看到一些地区的流量从4G转移到5G，这就是我们使用5G的方向。”
Vittal表示，虽然未来三年的年度资本支出将保持在每年2500亿卢比的水平，但一些资本支出可能会提前实现Airtel在2024年3月之前实现泛印度5G服务推出的目标。
他说，该电信公司还将把移动覆盖范围扩大到最近被确定为高潜力区域的约6万多个村庄，这是其全国农村发展的一部分。这些地区目前还没有Airtel。
Vittal声称，在12月的季度增加了约650,000名后付费用户，使该电信公司成为高收入领域的明显领导者。
他说，去年11月，Airtel决定在奥里萨邦和哈里亚纳邦提高基本预付费率，市场对此作出了积极反应，这促使该公司将提价扩大到17个市场。他说:“我们相信，价格较高的入门套装更有价值，符合我们的行动标准。”
在这17个市场中，预付费用户每月最低充值计划的起价为155卢比，而不是之前的99卢比，但包括无限语音通话、1GB数据和300条短信。
Airtel总经理表示，虽然该公司正在提高其业务每用户平均收益(ARPU)在一段时间内达到300卢比的水平，印度需要更广泛的关税上调行业．他说:“在17个市场提高入门级(预付)费率是经过深思熟虑的赌注，但我们不能单方面提高(整体)关税，因为这可能导致市场份额损失(如果其他市场不回应的话)。”
就在他发表这番言论的前一天，Airtel报告称，得益于强劲的4G用户增长、数据消费增长和频谱使用费(SUC)下降，其第三财季综合净利润同比增长91%，达到158.82亿卢比。
随后，Airtel的季度净利润下降了26%，尽管其ARPU环比增长1.9%至193卢比。
分析师表示，这是由于近67亿卢比的特殊费用和巨额准备金印度塔在大客户中沃达丰的想法美国面临的财务挑战。
Airtel是Indus Towers的最大股东，在Vi表示从1月份起在履行对塔楼公司的未来更高付款承诺方面面临挑战后，Indus Towers在12月季度为可疑债务提供了2,2981亿卢比的巨额拨备。
分析师表示，亏损的Vi的健康状况对Indus的财务稳定至关重要，进而对Bharti Airtel的股价也至关重要。
周三，在印度证交所，Airtel股价收于775.10卢比，下跌1.31%。
Airtel非洲第三季度同比净增长7%
Airtel非洲公司周四说，在截至12月31日的财季，该公司收入同比增长11%，环比增长3.2%，至13.5亿美元。每用户平均收益(ARPU)较上一季度增长2.9%，同比增长5.8%至3.1美元。
在谈到Airtel的5G业务战略时，Vittal表示，该电信公司很快就会围绕基于5G的固定无线接入(FWA)服务进行试点，但并不急于推出。这是因为一个被称为客户端设备(CPE)的关键路由器设备的成本约为每台180-200美元，这可能会使FWA服务过于昂贵。他说:“考虑到CPE的高昂成本，通过FWA连接每个家庭的成本高达100美元，是光纤的两倍。”
另外，Bharti领导团队表示，由于电信公司拥有强大的自由现金流(FCF)，目前没有计划立即从Airtel的配股收益中筹集剩余的1500亿卢比，以资助其5G推出。
Bharti Enterprises的联席董事总经理Harjeet Kohli在财报电话会议上表示:“Airtel目前的FCF配置不包括任何待处理电话，但在未来几个季度，我们可以对余额电话的需求进行基准测试。”
官员们表示，到目前为止，Airtel已在其2100亿卢比配股发行的第一部分中筹集了约5247亿卢比，一旦决定再进行两次配股，余额将会筹集到。
分析师:Airtel的印度移动业务将在23-25财年实现15%的年复合增长率
高盛在一份报告中表示:“我们预计24财年初价格将上涨，再加上2G到4G/5G的持续转换，我们预测Bharti的无线收入将在23e - 25e财年以15%的复合年增长率增长(综合水平为13%)。”
![\"Airtel](\"https:\/\/st.etb2bimg.com\/Themes\/Release\/images\/responsive\/ettelecom-default.jpg\")
<\/figure>Kolkata: Bharti Airtel<\/a> will target 5G<\/a> rollouts in 300 cities by March 2023 and focus on regions where demand for 4G services is already high, the company\u2019s managing director Gopal Vittal said. He, though, added that Airtel<\/a>\u2019s 5G expansion into rural India would hinge on how rapidly the devices ecosystem matures.
\u201cWe are already seeing traffic offloads happening from 4G to 5G in some areas, and this is where we will go with 5G,\u201d Vittal said at the telco\u2019s fiscal third quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
<\/div><\/div>Airtel, he said, would use 5G services as a pivot to grow its high-value postpaid business, adding that the telco had identified the top 150 cities that make up 40% of the Indian telecom market, cutting across the mobile, broadband, DTH and B2B businesses.
Vittal said that while annual capex spends would remain in the annual Rs 25,000 crore ballpark over the next three years, some capex spends may be advanced to achieve Airtel\u2019s targeted pan-India 5G services rollout by March 2024.
The telco will also expand its mobile coverage to some 60,000-odd villages recently identified as high-potential zones as part of its countrywide rural push, he said. These are regions where Airtel is currently not present.
Vittal claimed that addition of around 6,50,000 postpaid users in the December quarter has made the telco a clear leader in the higher revenue generating segment.
He said the positive market response to Airtel\u2019s decision to hike base prepaid rates in Odisha and Haryana in November last year had prompted the company to extend the price hike to 17 markets. \u201cWe believe the higher priced entry packs offer more value and have met our action standards,\u201d he said.
The minimum monthly recharge plan in these 17 markets for prepaid users now starts at Rs 155 \u2013 instead of the earlier Rs 99 talk-time value -- but comes with unlimited voice calling, 1GB data and 300 text messages.
Vittal said that while annual capex spends would remain in the annual Rs 25,000 crore ballpark over the next three years, some capex spends may be advanced to achieve Airtel\u2019s targeted pan-India 5G services rollout by March 2024.
The telco will also expand its mobile coverage to some 60,000-odd villages recently identified as high-potential zones as part of its countrywide rural push, he said. These are regions where Airtel is currently not present.
Vittal claimed that addition of around 6,50,000 postpaid users in the December quarter has made the telco a clear leader in the higher revenue generating segment.
He said the positive market response to Airtel\u2019s decision to hike base prepaid rates in Odisha and Haryana in November last year had prompted the company to extend the price hike to 17 markets. \u201cWe believe the higher priced entry packs offer more value and have met our action standards,\u201d he said.
The minimum monthly recharge plan in these 17 markets for prepaid users now starts at Rs 155 \u2013 instead of the earlier Rs 99 talk-time value -- but comes with unlimited voice calling, 1GB data and 300 text messages.
<\/div><\/div>The telco, though, has refrained from hiking base prepaid rates in a few markets where it feels consumers may be unable to absorb the tariff shock.
The Airtel MD said while the company is on track to boost its average revenue per user<\/a> (ARPU) to Rs 300 level over a period of time, broader tariff hikes need to happen across the industry<\/a>. \u201cIncreasing the entry-level (prepaid) rates in 17 markets was a calculated bet, but we can\u2019t increase (headline) tariffs unilaterally as it could lead to market share losses (if others don\u2019t respond),\u201d he said.
His comments came a day after Airtel reported 91% on-year jump in its consolidated net profit for the fiscal third quarter at Rs 1,588.2 crore, helped by strong 4G user additions, data consumption growth, and lower spectrum usage charges (SUC).
Sequentially, Airtel\u2019s quarterly net profit fell 26% even as its ARPU grew 1.9% on-quarter to Rs 193.
This, analysts said, was due to a near Rs 670 crore exceptional charge and hefty provisions by Indus Towers<\/a> amid key customer Vodafone Idea<\/a>\u2019s financial challenges.
Indus Towers, in which Airtel is the biggest shareholder, made a hefty Rs 2,298.1-crore provision towards doubtful debt in December quarter after Vi signalled challenges in meeting its future higher payment commitments to the tower company from January.
Analysts said the health of loss-making Vi is crucial for Indus\u2019s financial stability, and in turn, Bharti Airtel\u2019s stock.
Airtel shares closed 1.31% lower at Rs 775.10 on the BSE on Wednesday.
The Airtel MD said while the company is on track to boost its average revenue per user<\/a> (ARPU) to Rs 300 level over a period of time, broader tariff hikes need to happen across the industry<\/a>. \u201cIncreasing the entry-level (prepaid) rates in 17 markets was a calculated bet, but we can\u2019t increase (headline) tariffs unilaterally as it could lead to market share losses (if others don\u2019t respond),\u201d he said.
His comments came a day after Airtel reported 91% on-year jump in its consolidated net profit for the fiscal third quarter at Rs 1,588.2 crore, helped by strong 4G user additions, data consumption growth, and lower spectrum usage charges (SUC).
Sequentially, Airtel\u2019s quarterly net profit fell 26% even as its ARPU grew 1.9% on-quarter to Rs 193.
This, analysts said, was due to a near Rs 670 crore exceptional charge and hefty provisions by Indus Towers<\/a> amid key customer Vodafone Idea<\/a>\u2019s financial challenges.
Indus Towers, in which Airtel is the biggest shareholder, made a hefty Rs 2,298.1-crore provision towards doubtful debt in December quarter after Vi signalled challenges in meeting its future higher payment commitments to the tower company from January.
Analysts said the health of loss-making Vi is crucial for Indus\u2019s financial stability, and in turn, Bharti Airtel\u2019s stock.
Airtel shares closed 1.31% lower at Rs 775.10 on the BSE on Wednesday.