MTNL officially becomes the first operator in India to launch commercial 3G services in the Delhi region. However, having the first mover advantage, MTNL is trying to cash in by setting the price a bit higher that would deprive many to enjoy the 3G advantages. Remember, 3G network operates on a totally different band and provides faster data speeds as well as good voice quality.

Tariff:
Activation charge: Rs.500 + service tax
Fixed charges: Rs.599/- per month
Voice call to own network: Rs.0.60 per minute
Calls to other network: Rs. 1.00 per minute
Video call own network: Rs.1.80 per minute
Video call other network: Rs. 3.00 per minute
STD/ISD: As per Budget plan
STD video call: Rs.3.75 per minute
ISD video call: Rs. 30/- per minute
Local/STD/ISD SMS: As per Budget plan
Data @ GPRS/3G/UMTS/HSDPA usage rate: Rs.5/- per MB
Data @ HSDPA monthly service charges: Rs.149/-
MMS: Rs.3/-
HSDPA card (Optional): Rs.5000/-

We Say: As mentioned above, with such high charges, many won’t be jumping in the 3G bandwagon soon. Major letdown in this scheme is the fixed monthly charge which a user has to pay irrespective of his usage and on top of it his monthly rental plan. Though the voice call rates, video calls, SMS and MMS are fairly priced, the fixed HSDPA charges and the insane usage rate of Rs. 5 per MB are a downer.

We are not comparing 3G benefits but price alone can kill 3G’s excitement. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge, we would advice you to hold back for sometime as competition could lower the price.