Bharti Televentures, in association with a Canada-based firm, on Tuesday launched Blackberry handheld devices offering 'always on' connectivity, targeted at high-end customers.
"With Blackberry devices, we will be offering customers push-based and 'always on' connectivity to help them access instant e-mail, corporate data, Internet and SMS", Sunil Mittal, chairman & group MD, BTVL said.
The company has launched three Blackberry models, 7730, 7230 and 6230, the prices of which range between Rs 18,990 and Rs 32,990.
The cost of service depending on usage and pattern will range between Rs 1,799 for only data usage (fixed internet usage) and Rs 2,799 for voice including national roaming and data as well. This will be over and above the voice call charges for an Airtel mobile customer.
Mittal said Bharti has made investment in devices, back-end and upgrading the whole GPRS network for introducing Blackberry, the wireless solution of Canada-based firm Research In Motion.
"Network is common for many other devices and has taken several hundred crores of investment. An investment of Rs 50-75 crore must have been made for Blackberry's back-end server and devices alone," he said.
Corporates will be the early adopters of this technology-bankers, lawyers, people on the move and large corporations will use this, Mittal said, adding that Wipro, Coke and Bharti were using Blackberry. Some corporates, who were part of the pilot project are also expected to use Blackberry handsets, he said. -- PTI
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