Bharti Airtel Broadband and Telephone Services (B&TS) and search engine provider Google have just announced plans to work together to bring web-based services to Airtel's broadband community.The agreement will allow Airtel to offer its customers a portal which includes Google Gmail, Google Talk instant messaging, Google Search and an on-demand music download and gaming service, as well as various other applications.
In addition to these features, its users will be able to personalise their internet start page to include news, blog postings or weather updates.
The additional services will be free of charge and accessible via a one-off sign up procedure. The number of e-commerce applications available on the portal will increase over time, according to a company statement.
President of B&TS Atul Bindal commented: "In India, it is rich and differentiated services and content riding on an innovative internet experience that will drive the adoption of broadband.
"Airtel is delighted to partner with Google, a company that has led the creation of innovative internet experiences, to bring its innovative products to our broadband consumers."
Managing director of Google India Shailesh Rao said that Google is committed to the project and to enriching the experience of internet users in India.
B&TS is an integrated private telecom services provider with a mobile services unit, a broadband and telephone services unit and an enterprise services unit.
