Mumbai:
State-run telecom operators MTNL and BSNL have slashed
national roaming charges to Re1 for incoming calls and
Re0.40 for outgoing calls within any visiting network
as part of a new post-paid plan to be launched on June
3.
The
monthly rental for the plan has been fixed at Rs550. The
subscribers will also get 300 minutes of free talktime
for receiving calls.
Beyond
the free talk time callers would have to shell out Re1
for incoming calls and Re0.40 for outgoing calls within
any visiting network, BSNL CMD AK Sinha and his MTNL counterpart
RSP Sinha said.
Outgoing
calls to networks outside the visiting state will be charged
at Re1.
BSNL
also introduced a calling card - Callnow - which will
enable users to make ISD calls to the US and Canada at
Rs1.75 per minute and to the Gulf countries at Rs6.75
per minute. The card is available for Rs2,000 and comes
with free talktime of the same amount.
Both
the operators are expecting 20-25 per cent jump in their
traffic with this scheme.
Within
a week of announcing a 70-per cent cut in roaming tariff,
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications Ltd said it was
offering free roaming for its post-paid customers under
two plans with immediate effect.
Communications
minister A Raja, who was present on the occasion, said
more private operators are expected to follow suit by
reducing roaming charges.
Mobile phone customers in India have another reason to
cheer as three major service providers Friday said they
were cutting such tariff significantly for their post-paid
subscribers.
The
launch date of BSNL and MTNL for their new tariff plans
has been chosen to coincide with the birthday of Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who is also Communications
Minister A. Raja''s party president.
Free
roaming was among the major bonanzas promised by Raja''s
predecessor in the communications ministry Dayanidhi Maran
who had to quit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s cabinet,
following differences with the DMK chief.
.
Reliance''s ''India Roam Free Plan 390'' offers 200 free
minutes of incoming calls while roaming with outgoing
calls inviting a tariff of 40 paise and local calls a
little higher at Rs.1. The monthly charges are Rs.390.
The
company''s ''India Roam Free Plan 990'' offers a subscriber
1,300 minutes of free roaming talk-time, distributed over
900 minutes of incoming calls while roaming and 400 minutes
of free local calling. The monthly charges are Rs.990.
A
tariff of 50 paise per local calls and Rs.1 for outstation
calls will also be applicable, the company announced.
''Pre-paid roaming-friendly options are also available
on recharge vouchers of Rs.770 and Rs.520,'' the company
added.
MTNL
and BSNL said their plans would benefit frequent travellers,
particularly those who roam out of Delhi or Mumbai to
BSNL areas. Migration from other plans to the latest plan
would be permitted on request from June 3, they added.
''The
scheme will also be open to all BSNL''s Cellone customers
who can avail it without additional charges,'' the company''s
chairman and managing director A.K. Sinha said.
''Our
specially designed roaming freedom plan will provide freedom
from roaming charges for Dolphin GSM post-paid customers
all over India on the BSNL network,'' Sinha added.
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