The Hindu : Mobile-to-mobile incoming calls to be free

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003

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Mobile-to-mobile incoming calls to be free

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI JAN. 21. Cellular phone companies announced today that mobile-to-mobile incoming calls will become free as soon as their networks are re-configured. The benefits would be available to both pre-paid and post-paid cellular categories.

The operators party to the decision are Bharti, Hutchison, BPL Mobile, Escotel, Idea, Oasis and RPG Cellular. But it remains to be seen whether "customer-friendly" moves will lead to a "just and fair" interconnect settlement.

Some analysts say the companies will wait for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to announce the interconnect rates before implementing the announcement which till then will keep the cell phone customers from jumping ship.

The cell companies reiterated that they could match and even better limited mobility tariffs if the request for identical licence conditions and terms with regard to entry fee and interconnection is adequately addressed. A joint statement said the announcement was made following the Communication Minister, Pramod Mahajan's assurance of a "non-discriminatory and cost-based interconnection".

Reliance, which has decided to strike out a path of its own, said the offer to make incoming calls free came too late in the evening for it to respond. The company runs cellular services in eight circles. The MTNL and the BSNL are also not parties to the decision. Despite technically being `navratnas', the top brass of the two companies may have to take approval from higher authorities. But the first salvo was fired by the Tatas, the largest among the limited mobility companies. It offered a scheme under which customers can go mobile and also own the instrument by paying Rs. 2,600 up-front with the rest in 24 instalments of Rs. 150 each. The offer is available in Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat.

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