MTNL’s Garuda has brought in a new phone + connection pack for Rs 1499. This pack includes a Garuda colour camera phone and a Garuda prepaid connection with free talktime of Rs 1500. However, there are two conditions imposed on the usage of this free talktime, and they are, that this free talktime can be used only on MTNL networks and it has to be consumed within a period of 10 months. [Read more…] about MTNL’s Phone + Connection pack
Airtel’s Music on Demand is quite an old concept, which allows Airtel users to listen to music 24×7. Airtel has dedicated a separate web page to this service so that users can browse through the music library. You can also start the service by subscribing online.
Let us tell you why we find this page exceptional. Here it goes: to get to the page, you need to have some patience. But the wait is worthwhile. In a couple of minutes, you will be exposed to this cool interface or webpage, which has music playing in the background. Now with the page loaded, you can select a Genre or Type of Music you prefer. This can be further subdivided into sub genres, so that you get the song you are searching for faster. Talking about the speed, it’s truly fast. One click and you get the desired results in the form of pinned notes on the webwall. There’s no loading after that, browse through this 10,000 song library at your leisure.
You also have the option to search a song or album. This speeds up your search and gives better results. As you get to a particular genre, the images on the web page change, i.e. a Tabla and a sitar when you browse through the regional or classical genre. Also not to forget, the service also provides you with songs in various languages like Haryanvi, Assamese, etc.
This interface definitely gets a thumbs up from our side. Great going!!!!!!
Check it out here.
It’s true that many of us still call Vodafone, Hutch. That’s because of the impact the ‘Boy and the Dog’ left in our minds. On the same thought, Vodafone too didn’t want to snatch away ‘Hutch’ from the minds so soon. Just to keep Hutch Alive, Vodafone has listed some of the TV Commercials, Wallpapers, Screensavers and Tones. All the stuff can be downloaded for free from your computer, but the wallpapers and tones would cost you Rs.10 per download if you take the GPRS route.
Better known as a partially automated device that can play stored music at the insertion of a coin, the Jukebox has now gone mobile. BPL Mobile, launched Jukebox allowing its users to listen to approximately 10,000 songs 24×7. The service has been tagged at Rs.25 per month as subscription charge and the browsing would cost you 50 Paise during the day (9 to9) and 20 Paise in the remaining hours.
Users can also download the monotones of the songs they like @ Rs.10 per download. The service is also equipped with an automatic system, which would exclude the music you do not like, thus making browsing easy. This means the genres you like will be given top priority during listing. The system also allows you to continue sessions where you ended last time.
Overall the service is something refreshing but it is commendable on the part of service providers who have sneaked in another way to make money.
India, which is globally termed as the world’s fastest-growing telecom market added a record breaking 8.77 million mobile phone connections in January 2008 and overtook China, the world’s largest telecom market which added 8.42 million mobile phone subscribers in the month of January.
According to industry sources and data released by telecom regulator TRAI, subscriber additions in the telecom sector in the month of January are the highest-ever recorded globally. India has added 0.66 million more subscribers than it added in the month of December which stood at 8.11 million.
Amongst our Indian telecom service providers, Bharti Airtel took up major portions of the pie and added 2.3 million users, taking its total subscriber base to 57.4 million. RCom followed Airtel by adding 1.6 million subscribers taking its total base (GSM and CDMA) to 42.6 million.
Vodafone Essar stood third in the race and added 1.3 million subscribers in January taking its total subscriber base to 41.1 million followed by state run BSNL which added 0.6 million subscribers making a total base of 33.7 million subscribers.
A popular myth is that a BlackBerry phone can only be useful for email. But unlike the myth and knowing the different possibilities, Airtel has announced a new GPS enabled phone BlackBerry Pearl 8110. The phone is equipped with a host of BB features like push email, browser etc. and also a 2 megapixel camera with flash. The Pearl 8110 will retail at a price of Rs. 24,990.
To use the GPS functionality, a user has to download an application from Airtel called as WayFinder Navigator which is free of cost for the initial six months. The app when installed on your BB will provide you with audible navigation of routes and maps.
PS: This application will work with any Airtel BB phone which has GPS.
Tying up with big mobile retailers and offering unique schemes and discounts seems to be the IN thing for telecom service providers. Airtel has tied up with ‘The Mobile Store’ and it offers some unique postpaid schemes to customers of the Mobile Store. Similarly, Vodafone has its alliance with Subhiksha Mobiles to increase its postpaid customer base.
Subhiksha Mobile Store which has created a lot of hype in the market by promoting itself as the cheapest seller of mobile phones is offering a free Vodafone postpaid connection to every customer.
This means that if you buy a mobile phone from Subhiksha, you effectively save Rs. 600 (Rs 500 deposit + Rs 100 for sim card) which you would have otherwise paid to get the connection externally. This offer is good only if you want a new connection because Subhiksha isn’t offering any cash discount for not taking the postpaid connection.
2008 is turning out to be a great year for the Indian telecom company. Starting off, they have achieved the milestone of crossing 60 million customers. This happened after the operator added a whopping 22.5 lakh customers (GSM) in January of this year. The company is beating its own records on a month on month basis, and is targeting rural India to expand its base.
The year also brought in the title of “Best Billing/ Customer Care Solution” to Airtel in the GSMA Mobile World Congress Conference in Barcelona. The title was provided for Airtel’s Mchek idea, being provided to Airtel customers in India. The Conference is held to felicitate the best in the international telecom market. Airtel can’t help but be happy at the moment and it’s setting its targets quite high, evident by its next milestone of touching the 100 million customers in the near future. Great going…
Tackling a service provider can be cumbersome if they are unwilling to listen. Same is the case with one of our readers Shreya from Pune. Read on.
Till late 2006 I was using Hutch (now Vodafone) as my cellular service provider. But due to pathetic service offered by them I decided to switch to Airtel. So by November 2006 I was using Airtel and completed all the formalities required to surrender the connection. I thought I did everything right and won’t have to see Hutch again. But to my dismay, from mid 2007 I started receiving bills and was asked to pay up my dues. I visited the Gallery to get my matter sorted out and the executive there said to ignore the bills. Following the executive’s advice I started ignoring them but these Vodafone guys won’t leave me alone. Now they are calling up on my landline number and asking the same thing again and again. This is really irritating and is taking on my nerves. What should I do?
[Read more…] about You have dues to pay: Vodafone to ex-customer
Music is everywhere!!! Right from the ringing of the cellphone to singing of the caller tune. Ever thought about music during the conversation?? Yes, even that’s possible. Vodafone is providing a service, which helps you set “background tones” during your calls. This means that you can have the music of you choice playing when you are talking.
This service, priced at Rs. 30/month is a good deal considering Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And if you’re thinking that your boss will hear the same romantic song as your girlfriend, then you’re wrong. You have full control over it.