Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Airtel, Vodafone, Idea hikes 2G data rates by over 25%


While 2G data charges have been hiked, 3G data charges will remain unchanged or might even be reduced.



Three major telecom operators in India - Airtel, Vodafone and Idea - have hiked their 2G data rates across all their major circles. This is the second time in less than a year that the telecom operators have hiked the mobile data tariffs.
All the three telecos are now offering the 1 GB pack, which used to cost Rs 99, for Rs 125 across all their major circles. The 2 GB unlimited pack, offered by both Airtel and Idea, is now priced at Rs 199 against its earlier price of Rs 149. In April 2012, the three operators had also reduced the data cap on the Rs 99 pack from 2 GB to 1 GB in most circles.
data charges have been hiked
However, there is no change in unbundled data usage which continues to be charged at 10 paise per 10 KB.
While 2G data charges have been hiked, 3G data charges will remain unchanged or might even be reduced as 3G adoption has remained dismal in the country. On the other hand, 2G data adoption has increased by almost 300 per cent in the last one year, according to reports.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

BSNL Hikes Unlimited Local and STD Call Plans Tariff


Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has increased the tariff of prepaid Unlimited own net local and STD call plans by 14% approx.  The new tariff will affect those consumers who are using the BSNL’s Unlimited plans to call on BSNL networks priced at Rs.30 to Rs.500.
BSNL Tariff hike
BSNL’s Unlimited own net call STV of Rs. 30 which offers unlimited own-network local / STD calling valid for 1 day will now be available for Rs.34. While UL STV Rs.150 with validity of 7 days will now be available at Rs.164. The UL STV of Rs.300 providing Unlimited local Own-network calls with 30 days validity is now increased to Rs.344. And Unlimited STV of Rs.500 which is offering unlimited local / STD Own-Network calls for 30 days will now cost Rs.574 effective from 10th January 2013.
BSNL has also announced 2 new longer validity unlimited calling plan / STVs priced at Rs.894 and Rs.1494 with validity of 90 days. New STV of Rs.894 offers unlimited local BSNL to BSNL calls and STV of Rs.1494 offers unlimited local / STD BSNL to BSNL calls.These new STVs available in all circles from 10th January, 2013.
BSNL Unlimited call plan 10 Jan 2013

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

MTS India Hopes to Continue Mobile Services Beyond 18 January, 2013


MTS India the CDMA Mobile service of Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd (SSTL) with over 16 million customers today said that it will not exit the Indian telecom market and trying to continue its services beyond 18th January 2013.
MTS India
After TRAI’s latest directive to all mobile service providers who’s licences had quashed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on February 2, 2012 including MTS India, to inform their customers that they would be suspending their GSM and CDMA Mobile services from January 18, 2013.  MTS India said that “MTS wishes to inform millions of its customers that being fully committed to its customers and the investments it has made in India, it intends to continue its operations beyond January 18, 2013 and in this context has taken and is taking all the possible steps.
According to MTS India’s official statement  ”To ensure the continuity of its services beyond January 18, 2013. MTS has already filed a Curative Petition against the Judgment seeking to annul the cancellation of its licenses. MTS believes that it has a very good case in the Curative Petition both in facts and law and is hopeful of a favorable order of restoration of its licenses. MTS is hopeful that the Supreme Court will take up its curative petition before January 18, 2013.”

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Exclusive : Vodafone India Launches Online Customer Care Live Chat Support


Vodafone India has introduced a refreshingly new online customer care initiative, ‘Online Live Chat‘ service for all its mobile customers across India.
Vodafone India Customer Care Online Chat Support
Happy to Help through Live Chat Service is endeavor in the Indian telecom industry and aims at ensuring customer service as a key differentiator for Vodafone. The service will take care of all postpaid & prepaid queries/ requests & complaints through live Chat option. The new service designed to help customers wherein its customer care executive will chat with website visitors in real time and have their questions answered instantly.
Presently the Live Chat service will be available in Mumbai, Delhi & NCR and Gujarat circles and will be expanded to other circles across India soon. To avail the service, Live Chat, subscribers have to log on to Vodafone India website and select the circle, click on the ‘Chat’ button under the “We’re Happy to Help through live chat now! . Once the customer fills a Pre-Chat Form, he/she automatically gets transferred to a live chat with the company representative.
Vodafone India LIVE CHAT
The representative then resolves/answers queries/requests/complaints and closes the chat accordingly. The service is available only for Vodafone India’s existing prepaid and postpaid customers between 9.00 am to 6.00 pm from Monday to Saturday only.
Vodafone India's Live Chat Service

Airtel Joins Idea Cellular: Blackout Days Extended to Voice Calls Starting 2013


As expected after Idea Cellular, Airtel extends black out days on voice calls along with SMS. It is already shown on Airtel’s website and it says: ‘ On Black Out days all person to person SMS and Voice calls will be charged at normal rates and not at discounted rates’.
On Black out days,No SMS packs benefits will be applicable. Normal SMS rates of Re 1 for local SMS, Rs 1.50 for National SMS and Rs 5 for International SMS and voice call rate of customer tariff plan will apply between 00.00 hrs to 24.00 hr.
airtel-2013-blackout-days
Airtel SMS and Voice Black out days 2013
  1. 1st January – New year
  2. 14th February – Valentine Day
  3. 27th March – Holi
  4. 3rd November – Diwali
  5. 31st December – New year eve

Monday, December 24, 2012

Airtel WiFi to Be Rolled out Soon


It’s been in discussion to offload data to WiFi from cellular network for a time, it seem Airtel is going into that way. Airtel, India’s largest mobile operator is launching WiFi services across India in coming days.
As of now Airtel will start offering WiFi services in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Banglore in inital phase. Airtel is offering secure wireless broadband internet with unlimited usage. All the WiFi plans are session or time based. Rs 20 offer 30 minutes of usage with unlimited downloads. Rs 30 and Rs 50 offers 60 minutes and 120 minutes of usage respectively.
airtel-wifi
Just find out Airtel Hotspot and select ‘airtel WiFi Zone‘, activate voucher and login to start browsing. For customer support Airtel opens a new helpline on 18001022244.
Airtel also opens up options for WiFi Hangout for an establishment owner and WiFi Partner for the cafe, restaurant owners. Airtel WiFi Partners can start offering service at zero investments and can earn commission on every WiFi session sold.
This move is similar to Aircel’s WiFi offering partnering SpectraNet in selected cities – Agra, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai and Pune. Stated in February 2011, Aircel currently offers 3 WiFi plans – Hourly pack Rs 15 offers 50 MB usage at upto 256kbps speed for 1 hour; 24Hrs pack Rs 25 offers 100 MB usage at upto 512kbps speed for241 hour, Monthly plan Rs 249 offers 3GB usage at upto 1Mbps speed for 30 days. The billing was done on Aircel prepaid account or postpaid bill.
On Airtel website we don’t find any speed limitation or fair usage policy details, though we afraid they are very much present. If any of our readers tested Aircel or Airtel’s WiFi, please drop us a comment regarding your experiences with them.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Aircel Partners With Yebhi Offers Free talk time on every purchase


Aircel today announced a unique alliance with Online Fashion Store Yebhi. This alliance brings an exclusive proposition – “KSKT- Keep Shopping Keep Talking,” where Yebhi customers can avail free talk time of Aircel on purchases made from the portal. This association is part of one of the many initiatives Aircel is undertaking to connect with the youth.
aircel-logo
Under KSKT, which begins today, customers visiting Yebhi will get a shopping promo code depending upon the product they purchase.
Subsequently, Aircel customers will be directed to its website, wherein with the input of shopping promo code, they will be able to enjoy free talk time. The Free Talk time offer will be different for different users based on purchases made where the offer is live.
For instance, with a shopping of Rs 1000 on Yebhi, a customer can get free Aircel Talk Time worth Rs 200. Under the offer, non-Aircel customers can get free Aircel connection along with purchase made at Yebhi’s website as well, if they so desire.