Date:28/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/28/stories/2005122802740200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Offers galore for cellphone users

Staff Correspondent

Cellular service providers run one scheme after another

Bangalore: Free incoming calls, talk time equal to the cost of a handset, SMS at discounted rates... cellular service providers have pulled out all stops. This is the season for them to attract new subscribers and retain existing ones.

The competition has become especially fierce between two key CDMA providers: Tata Indicom and Reliance Infocomm. Tata shook the market by offering pre-paid mobile connections with unlimited incoming calls for two years. Reliance responded with a similar offer for three years. Now Reliance also offers talk time equivalent to the cost of handsets bought through it.

According to Reliance executives, prepaid customers will have the flexibility to make outgoing calls using top-up recharge coupons, which give full value. Tata Indicom has introduced Prepaid `Walky' scheme. By paying a refundable Rs. 1,000 as deposit and buying a Rs. 220 recharge coupon, you can make free calls to Tata mobile numbers in the State.

Keeping out of price wars, AirTel has offers such as free downloads of ringtones for existing subscribers. Spice, which operates only in this region, has special offers for late night calls and for SMS sent to numbers on its network.

The State-owned BSNL is not left behind. It offers top-up cards with the face value of Rs. 50 and Rs. 100 with full talk time for prepaid connections.