Leading national GSM service provider Idea Cellular today said that the company is talking to a few top competitors for sharing 3G services, where the company doesn't have a spectrum.

"We are talking to a few top competitors for sharing third generation (3G) services in 11 circles, where we currently do not own 3G spectrum," Idea Cellular's Managing Director Sanjeev Aga told reporters here while announcing the Q2 results of the company.

Idea today clocked a consolidated net profit of Rs 179.74 crore for the second quarter ended September 31, 2010,compared to Rs 220.15 crore in the year-ago period.

Figures for the current period are not comparable with that of the corresponding period due to the merger of Spice Communications Ltd effective March 1, 2010, prior to which it was a joint venture, Aga said.

"We own 3G spectrum in 11 circles from where we get 80 per cent of our revenues. But our aim is to provide good standard 3G services to our customers across the length and breadth of the country," he said.

According to him, talks are in the final stage and the 3G roll-out will happen at the end of this calendar year or in January next year.

"We are not in a mad rush. We don't believe in being the first to provide 3G. We will do a thorough job," he said, adding that the company is looking at rolling-out the services in a single day across the country.

The company will spend Rs 3,000 crore additionally for laying the 3G facilities starting from next month for one year, Aga said.

The company has earmarked a capex of Rs 4,000 crore for both second generation (2G) and 3G this fiscal and the Rs 3,000 crore is over and above this capex, he said.

Normally, the July-September quarter is dull for telecom companies, a factor that slightly affected the profitability of the company. But according to Aga, the improvement in revenue market share and the slowing of decline in rates are two positive aspects for the company.

Its total revenues were Rs 3,659.19 crore in the second quarter ended September 30. The company had a total revenue of Rs 2,973.91 crore in the same quarter previous fiscal.

On a stand-alone basis, the company has posted a net profit of Rs 165.98 crore during the second quarter of the current fiscal, while it had a net profit of Rs 259.89 crore in the same quarter corresponding fiscal.

Normally, the July-September quarter is dull for telecom companies, a factor that slightly affected the profitability of the company. But according to Aga, the improvement in revenue market share and the slowing of decline in rates are two positive aspects for the company.

Idea has clocked a consolidated net profit of Rs 179.74 crore for the second quarter ended September 31, 2010, as compared to Rs 220.15 crore in the year-ago period.

Figures for the current period are not comparable with that of the corresponding period due to the merger of Spice Communications Ltd effective March 1, 2010, prior to which it was a joint venture, Aga said.

Its total revenues were Rs 3,659.19 crore in the second quarter ended September 30. The company had a total revenue of Rs 2,973.91 crore in the same quarter previous fiscal.

On a stand-alone basis, the company has posted a net profit of Rs 165.98 crore during the second quarter of the current fiscal, while it had a net profit of Rs 259.89 crore in the same quarter corresponding fiscal.