Telecom major Bharti Airtel today launched 3.75G service in Zambia to provide its customers high-speed access to data on mobiles and said it will rapidly scale up infrastructure this year.

This latest version of 3G service that is based on HSPA+ technology is the fastest available and can offer data speed of up to 21 megabytes per second (mbps), the company said in a statement.

"3.75G technology will give our customers the opportunity to interact with data in a different way. This is why Airtel doesn’t see 3.75G as a product but a platform that enables the community to expand its social and commercial horizons," said Fayaz King, Airtel's Managing Director in Zambia.

He said Airtel will roll out data network across Africa to build the largest 3G network in the continent.

"There are currently 280 Airtel 3.75G sites across Zambia – covering all provincial districts – with the aim to roll out up to 400 by the end of this year," Airtel said.