Virgin Mobile offers free SMS

Virgin Mobile has introduced a revolutionary youth-focused service of free mobile text mesaging, or SMS.

Virgin Mobile customers will now be able to send 100 national and another 100 local SMSs  free every day after paying for the first three SMSs on each leg (national and local respectively) to any network.

''Our research shows that the youth have a high propensity to consume mobile services and are looking for solutions that give them the flexibility to use mobile services as per their need," said
M A Madhusudan, CEO, Virgin Mobile, India, on the new SMS offer.

Madhusudan says the young around the country send six times as many SMSs and have a constant desire to connect and share with their large network of friends, peer group and family.

"They use SMS as an important device to lead a life of their choice; zoning people in and out from their world as and when they want to and also use it as their 'secret messaging service'.

However, due to the voice text pricing parity, sending SMSs are expensive with the better priced deals usually available only with packs or upfront commitment, he says.

"However, now with our new free SMS proposition we believe that youth will take up to this medium in a big way and it will become the new voice of the youth."

The new free SMS offer is available to all Virgin Mobile subscribers across the country without any extra monthly commitment or upfront payment or pack.

The first three local SMSs sent are charged at Re1 each which, is the base tariff, after which 100 SMSs can be sent free, while the first three national SMSs are charged at Rs. 1.50 each, after which 100 national SMSs are free daily.

In essence the consumer gets a total of 200 SMSs free daily. All new subscribers and the existing subscriber who are already on the new 50 paise STD local tariff will get this SMS benefit by default from today onwards, while the customers who are on the old 50 paise local tariff can avail this benefit by recharging their account by paying just Rs12-recharge coupon.

Since its launch in India, Virgin Mobile has taken a number of initiatives to offer customised and relevant offerings for its youth audience to meet their style, budget and aspirational quotient.