Tata Communications is planning the world's largest commercial Wimax rollout, with full coverage in 15 cities across India.
The Indian telco has contracted US vendor Telsima to build the network, which it expects to capture 200,000 retail customers in 2009.
The network of 3000 base stations will provide limited coverage for enterprises in 110 cities and full retail coverage in 15 major cities. The first phase will cover Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Chandigarh, and Kolkata.
Shankar Prasad, president of Tata Communications' retail unit, said the wireless technology allowed the company to deliver broadband services "in a cost-effective, decentralized manner in India where a majority of the country is not covered by wired infrastructure."
India has just 3.1 million broadband customers out of a population of over 1.2 billion.
Yankee Group chief strategy officer Berge Ayvazian said the Tata Wimax rollout would accelerate broadband adoption and boost the country's educational and economic development.