Telecom major Bharti Airtel today said it has launched high-speed 3G network services in Congo, becoming the first carrier to do so in Central Africa.

"The issuance of the licence is a significant move by the Congolese Government and a milestone in a region that is set to embrace first world mobile platforms," Bharti airtel said in a statement.
This is the first 3G licence issued in Central Africa and the second amongst the French-speaking African nations, after Senegal, it added.

"3G technology will give our customers the opportunity to interact with data in a different way. This is why Airtel doesn''t see 3G as a product but a platform that enables the community expand its social and commercial horizons, alongside the rest of the world," Tiemoko Coulibaly, CEO Airtel Africa, Francophone said.

Last year, in the largest telecom takeover by an Indian firm, Bharti had acquired Kuwait-based Zain Telecom''s African business for USD 10.70 billion (about Rs 48,000 crore).

Bharti airtel has partnered with Nokia Siemens Networks to deliver the infrastructure and solutions for the deployment.

"With our strong products and services portfolio, we will partner and support Bharti Airtel to deliver HSPA+ technology, which will enable their customers in the Republic of Congo to enjoy high-speed mobile Internet services. This technology will enable Bharti Airtel deliver a unique experience to their customers," NSN Head of Africa Region Dimitri Diliani said.

There are currently about 400 million mobile subscribers in Africa, according to data from McKinsey & Co.