UAE-based Etisalat is poised to launch its new Indian mobile network across 15 circles promising to offer some of the lowest tariffs in an already fiercely competitive market. According to an exclusive report by India’s Telecom Talk, the new network – a joint-venture between Etisalat and local real estate firm DB Realty – will launch under a new brand, Cheers Mobile. The report says that the network will offer local on-net calls at just INR0.010 per minute. This rises to INR0.030 per minute for off-net local calls and to INR0.060 per minute for national STD calls to all networks. Although the tariffs have been published, the exact launch date of services is not known. However, Mumbai – where the firm is headquartered – is likely to be among the first markets to go live. 

Etisalat DB India Pvt. Ltd – as the company is officially known (previously Swan Telecom) – has Unified Services Access Licenses (USAL) in 15 Indian circles including Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu (including Chennai), Uttar Pradesh (East), Uttar Pradesh (West), Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Network build-out has been outsourced to Reliance Communications as part of a INR10,000 crore deal that was signed last year. Etisalat DB India is also one of the nine firms to have registered to bid in next month’s 3G spectrum auctions in India.