The Mumbai based service provider has just doubled its network and wants users to test the same for them. Thus the operator has unveiled a prepaid trial pack named as the “Network Trial Pack” for users to try the new upgraded services. The pack offers the user a free talk time of Rs. 1200 which is spread over a period of 120 days, which equals to 5 minutes offered per day. It is priced at Rs. 150 and has a validity for 60 days.

As for the charges, the “free calls” are charged at Rs. 1.99 and STD is charged at Rs. 2.49. However, the free talk time can’t be carried forward to the next day. If satisfied, the user can pay an additional Rs. 299 to get this pack converted to a lifetime prepaid scheme.

Though it is tough for people to understand the contents of the scheme, the basic objective of BPL to promote its Try and Buy strategy is evident.

BPL Mobile

Tata Indicom is offering huge gifts to users who would be joining the Tata family this festive season. Here is what they would be offering, if you get lucky: Tata Safari, Tata Indica, motorcycles, TV’s, DVD players and what not. The operator assures a free gift with every new connection. The offer spans from 26th of October and goes on for a month. So what better time to buy a new connection than now.

Bad news is that the offer isn’t valid in Maharashtra and Goa. Sorry guys, you can wait for next time or as they say “Switch to Tata Indicom some other network.”

We know that Reliance Communications has already applied for the license. And now Tata Teleservices has done the same thing. This is one move that the current players in the GSM market did not wish to see. But there’s a valid reason for this move. The two players are well aware of the fact that there will not be any more spectrum alloted to the current players in the GSM due to current regulations by the DoT and thus there is an opportunity to take advantage of. And ofcourse, to feed the ever increasing subscribers and deepening their pockets, they have planned to encroach the area of GSM.

Tata Teleservices has applied for 20 circles whereas the other has applied for 23 circles. Now this move is a threat call for the current players and if the word is to be believed then they may be take DoT to the court for the same. Let’s see what happens…

After Google launching the SMS based search service a few days back, it is Yahoo India who follows the same suit. The search results are retrieved in the form of SMS so anyone without a GPRS connection can also use the search service.

A user has to send the query to 58242. Eg: “iPod” to 58242.

Airtel mobile bills can now be paid through SMS using mChek services. If you have a Mastercard or a Visa credit card, you can now pay your Airtel mobile bill anytime and from anywhere.

Airtel and mChek guarantees the safety of your transaction and assures the user that the information provided during the transaction will be secure. The registration for mChek can be done through SMS or through the mChek website.
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We have already read, heard and seen much about Hutch becoming Vodafone. The whole rebranding exercise was one of the biggest in India considering the amount which was put into the whole effort. The cost sums up to a whopping Rs. 200 Crore which was used in all sorts of communication activities to make people aware that Hutch is now Vodafone.

The company needs to be saluted for a great feat it achieved a day prior to the launch. If you ever noticed, the ads were aired the previous night and simultaneously at the same time all Hutch banners, signages at the dealers, small shops were being replaced by the new Red ones. This was not a small thing as the operator had to change about three and a half crore signages all across the country and replace them with new ones, so that when you get out of your house the next morning you no longer see even a trace of the name Hutch anywhere. It successfully managed to rebrand and revamp its 370 Hutch shops and a few lakh dealerships.

Considering the massive cost involved, such efficiency would be expected and the operator was successful in the feat.

Tata Indicom has recently launched a scheme where it provides its users with three times the benefits for the same amount. For example the recharge which used to give you a validity of 30 days, now gives you three times of the same i.e. 90 days validity.Here are a few of the other benefits it is providing:

The GoActive offering which gave you a one year validity now is extended upto three years. Your Prepaid card for an amount of Rs. 210 used to give you a talktime of Rs. 75, which has now been tripled to Rs. 225. That means you get more than what you pay and thats definitely a great deal. If you have a Tata Indicom Walky, the prepaid recharge on the same would also provide you with triple talktime.

So it’s triple masti and surely great value for money at the same time…

Vodafone has launched it’s magic box, which consists of a monochrome handset or a colour handset and a connection available at prices starting from Rs. 1199. Apart from the cellphone and the connection the Magic Box comes with some added benefits just to make the whole package attractive. These benefits are for a period of one month. To start off, the Box has talktime of Rs. 50 along with a local bonus card worth Rs. 55. This card would allow you to make calls to other Vodafone numbers at 30 paise/min and other calls at 90 paise/min. You also get a night calling bonus card which allows you to make 100 minutes of free calls to local Vodafone users from 11pm to 8am. Cool deal I must say.

To add to the fun, Vodafone also provides you with a free caller tune facility for a month and an alert service for the same period. Alerts include news. So overall, if we were to calculate all the benefits being provided here, it sums up to an amount of Rs. 202. But it does manage to match the amount with great services…

Seeing the potential of SMS-based services, Google India has launched Google Search on SMS for mobile users who does not have an internet enabled phone. Users trying to search something must send their search queries (for instance, “weather Mumbai”) to 54664 (5GOOG). Not so good news for the users would be that searching on Google via SMS would cost you premium SMS charges.

Currently, it is being offered by select operators – Aircel, Airtel, BPL, BSNL, Reliance.

More info here.

Everyone please make way for a new entrant, Videocon in the CDMA arena. Videocon who had applied for Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) with TRAI has announced that they will be launching themselves in CDMA market instead of already overcrowded GSM one. As per sources, Videocon is already in talks with a US service provider which is allegedly to be Verizon. However Videocon is still keeping mum on this one.

Entry of Videocon will heat up the competition in the CDMA market as Tata and Reliance are already engaged in a war to have a larger pie in the market share.

Source: AgencyFAQ