http://www.fonearena.com/blog The Mobile Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:57:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45172/bsnl-unlimited-3g-is-back-but-with-5gb-limit-in-chennai.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45172/bsnl-unlimited-3g-is-back-but-with-5gb-limit-in-chennai.html#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:27:15 +0000 Srivatsan http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=45172 BSNL has launched an unlimited 3G plan for pre-paid and post-paid customers in Chennai. This offers speed up to 3.6 Mbps till 5GB, and after that speed would be throttled to 100 Kbps. They offered 3G unlimited iPad plans few months back but stopped it suddenly. This is not a lot but you get unlimited usage even after the 3G data limit. BSNL 3G unlimited data plans This is a promotional offer that is valid from 04-01-2012 to 02-04-2012 for pre-paid customers and from 10-01-2012 to 08-04-2012 for post-paid customers . This is available for Existing and New BSNL 3G customers in Chennai. This cannot be clubbed with any other Data RCV and 3G NIGHT accounts. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45172/bsnl-unlimited-3g-is-back-but-with-5gb-limit-in-chennai.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45155/bsnl-launches-trust-card-in-partnership-with-itz-cash-card.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45155/bsnl-launches-trust-card-in-partnership-with-itz-cash-card.html#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:06:26 +0000 Srivatsan http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=45155 BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.), in partnership with Itz Cash Card Ltd., has launched TRUST Card, a co-branded multi service prepaid card in India as they announced last year. This is a semi-closed card that would let the card holders pay postpaid bill, prepaid top ups and other utility bills easily. Other than paying bills and recharging their prepaid cards, users could also get some Value Added Service (VAS) packs like Hello TV Subscription, BSNL Hello Tunes etc. This card could also be used to pay electricity bills, telephone bills, pay for cooking gas, book rail or air tickets, renew DTH subscription and much more. There are about more than 1000 billers and the list is being continuously enhanced. It would be available initially in Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune and Chennai and would be launched countrywide later on. The TRUST Card would be sold from BSNL retail outlets and ItzCash World outlets and comes in denominations of Rs. 250, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000. There are 2 type of cards such as use and throw the card after use or reload the card using refill vouchers. They have also launched Hello TV for PC/Data Card users that would PC/Laptop users to watch live TV, ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45155/bsnl-launches-trust-card-in-partnership-with-itz-cash-card.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43653/the-mysterious-story-of-the-apple-iphone-4s-not-working-in-india.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43653/the-mysterious-story-of-the-apple-iphone-4s-not-working-in-india.html#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:25:21 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43653 If you are one amongst consumers who had purchased the iPhone 4S from outside India and were facing issues getting it to work here , good news for you. Many users including me were seeing no signal bars on the iPhone 4S in India. Calls and SMS were not working.Surprisingly 3G data was working fine on most operators including Airtel , Vodafone and BSNL. I had tried using some international SIM cards such as AT&T, T-Mobile , O2 UK, 3 UK, SmarTone (HK). The issue was strange as I had another iPhone 4S which was working perfectly fine with all the SIM cards. Look at the speedtest below on BSNL. Awesome speeds but no signal bars ! Weird right ? Awesome speed yet no bars iPhone 4S was working perfectly fine outside India This is the same phone which was working perfectly fine in the UK. In fact i was using the 4S as a Hotspot for my laptop as I had unlimited data from 3UK. Hardware problem  ? Not convinced If the device had a manufacturing defect or if the hardware was faulty, how would it work in the UK that too for a couple of days without throwing up an error. In fact ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43653/the-mysterious-story-of-the-apple-iphone-4s-not-working-in-india.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/41312/rationalized-bsnl-2g-and-3g-prepaid-tariffs-for-chennai.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/41312/rationalized-bsnl-2g-and-3g-prepaid-tariffs-for-chennai.html#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:17:08 +0000 Srivatsan http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=41312 BSNL has rationalized the prepaid 2G and 3G tariffs for its customers in Chennai. These tariffs are applicable from 22.07.2011. The 2G and 3G voice, SMS, Data and Video call charges for First Recharge Coupons (FRCs) are as follows. Plans Saral Anant Special 1p/sec (Vinadi special) All at 49 Special 3G Special FirstRechargeCoupon (Rs) 15 42 48 120 Free On-net Voice Calls (Rs) 20 30 30 100 Free Off-net Voice Calls (Rs) 10 20 20 50 Free Local/STD On-net Video Call (min) Nil Nil Nil 100 Free Data Usage (MB) 20 50 50 150 Free P2P Local & National SMS 25 250 250 350 Initial Plan Validity (Days) 180 180 180 180 Bonus Period I (Days) 15 15 15 15 Bonus Period II (Days) NA 165 165 165 Applicability 2G&3G (Rs./Min) 2G&3G (Rs./Sec) 2G&3G (Rs./Min) 3G (Rs./Min) Local On-net Voice Call Charges 0.9 0.01 0.49 0.5 Local Off-net Voice Call Charges 0.9 0.01 0.49 0.7 Local Call charges on 2 BSNL numbers 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 Friends & Family numbers STD On-net 1.2 0.01 0.49 0.5 Friends & Family numbers STD Off-net 1.5 0.01 0.49 0.7 STD Call charges on 1 BSNL number 0.5 0.5 0.49 0.3 Local & STD On-net Video Call 1 0.02 1 0.7 Local & STD Off-net Video Call 1.5 0.03 1.5 1 Local SMS 0.8 0.6 0.49 0.3 National SMS 1.2 0.6 0.49 0.5 International SMS 5 5 5 5 Local On and Off-Net National Roaming 1 0.01 0.49 0.5 STD On and Off-Net National Roaming 1.5 0.01 0.49 0.7 Incoming on National Roaming 1 0.01 0.49 0.5 Local & National SMS on Roaming 1 0.6 0.49 0.5 International SMS on Roaming 5 5 5 5 Local & STD On-net Video call on Roaming 1 0.02 1 0.7 Local & STD Off-net Video call on Roaming 1.5 0.03 1.5 1 Incoming Video Call on Roaming 1 0.02 1 0.7   3G General Prepaid Plan with FRC 120 is rationalized  as 3G Special Plan. The concessional tariff is not applicable on FIVE BLACK-OUT days (31st dec,1st Jan, Valentine day 14th Feb, Diwali & Christmas 25th Dec ). Free ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/41312/rationalized-bsnl-2g-and-3g-prepaid-tariffs-for-chennai.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/41022/bsnl-launches-voice-video-telephony-vvoip-in-india.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/41022/bsnl-launches-voice-video-telephony-vvoip-in-india.html#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:59:34 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=41022 BSNL today launched it's Voice and Video Telephony service -  VVOIP in India. IP to IP voice calls within India will cost 40 paise per minute and IP to IP video calls within India will cost Rs.2 per minute. Monthly charges for using this service will be Rs.150. International calls seem really cheap at just 1.2 paise per minute if we go by the release . BSNL has launched this service in partnership with Sai InfoSystem (India) Ltd. (SIS). While we figure out the exact tariffs and equipment required, you can find the release below. Press Release BSNL launches Voice & Video Telephony over Internet Protocol in India New Delhi July 18, 2011: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s incumbent & one of the largest integrated telecom service provider along with Sai InfoSystem (India) Ltd. (SIS), one of the fastest growing ICT Company in the country today has launched the first of its kind VOIP services in India. Present on the occasion of the launch were Shri. Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the PM (Public Infrastructure, Information and Innovation), Shri. R. K. Upadhyay, CMD, BSNL, Shri. Rajesh Wadhwa, Director (CFA), BSNL; Shri R.K Aggarwal, Director(CM), BSNL; and Shri. Sunil Kakkad, CMD, SIS . BSNL’s Voice & ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/41022/bsnl-launches-voice-video-telephony-vvoip-in-india.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40941/bsnl-to-launch-trust-card-in-partnership-with-itz-cash-card.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40941/bsnl-to-launch-trust-card-in-partnership-with-itz-cash-card.html#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:45:57 +0000 Srivatsan http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=40941 BSNL to join hands with Itz cash card to launch Trust Card, which is a prepaid cash card. This card would let the BSNL customes pay postpaid bill, prepaid top ups and other utility bills easily. Other than paying bills and recharging their prepaid cards, users could also get some Value Added Service (VAS) packs like Hello TV Subscription, BSNL Hello Tunes etc. This card could also be used to pay electricity bills, telephone bills, pay for cooking gas, book rail or air tickets, renew DTH subscription and much more. The Trust Card would initially be available in Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune & Chennai in the next four months and would come in denominations of Rs. 250, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000. This card would be available in ItzCash World and from BSNL retail outlets. This Trust Card would gradually be introduced in the other cities throughout India within the next 12 months. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40941/bsnl-to-launch-trust-card-in-partnership-with-itz-cash-card.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40024/bsnl-offers-coverage-for-amarnath-pilgrims-in-jammu-and-kashmir.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40024/bsnl-offers-coverage-for-amarnath-pilgrims-in-jammu-and-kashmir.html#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:08:52 +0000 Srivatsan http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=40024 BSNL has announced that they will offer mobile coverage for the pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. This would allow the prepaid and postpaid BSNL and MTNL customers across India to keep in touch with others throughout the Yatra. The annual Amarnath Yatra commences on the 29th of June, which is next week and ends on 13th August 2011. Registration for the Yatra started from 10th May. Every year over 3 Lakh pilgrims visit the Amarnath Temple an this year over 2.25 lakh pilgrims have registered already for the Yatra. The mobile towers in the Base Camps of Baltal, Domail & Chandanwari has started operating since this May to help the para military forces, SASB and LANGAR organizers. Now, the routes of Baltal and Pehalgam including Sheshnag, Panchatarini  and the Holy Cave has complete network coverage throughout the Yatra. BSNL has also made arrangements to offer new prepaid connections for the Yatris at the registration point / base camp. They just need to provide a passport size photograph, address and ID proof to get a new connection. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40024/bsnl-offers-coverage-for-amarnath-pilgrims-in-jammu-and-kashmir.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/35079/bsnl-launches-new-value-added-services-for-2g-and-3g-customers.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/35079/bsnl-launches-new-value-added-services-for-2g-and-3g-customers.html#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:22:42 +0000 Srivatsan http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=35079 BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd) has launched three new Value Added Services (VAS) for its 2G and 3G subscribers across the country. Video SMS, Live share and Dial a video, lets users send video SMS, Share videos online and browse preferred contents by making a video call. Video SMS feature lets the users record a video on their 3G enabled handsets by making a video call to 58877. Type in the number to whom you want to send the video and send it. The receiver will get a web link via SMS through which they could download and view your video. The receiver doesn't need any video calling or 3G enabled handsets for viewing these videos. Live share lets the users record a video and share it on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This requires an app and works on both 2G and 3G connection. SMS LIVE to 58877 to get the link for downloading the app or visit the URL to download the app for Symbian handsets. Dial a video lets the users access the contents like Comedy, Bollywood Gossip, Music Videos, Astrology etc. by making a video call to 51010 from their 3G enabled handsets. This is based on ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/35079/bsnl-launches-new-value-added-services-for-2g-and-3g-customers.html/feed 3 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/34930/bsnl-3g-tariffs-revised-get-250mb-at-rs-100-22gb-at-rs-2000.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/34930/bsnl-3g-tariffs-revised-get-250mb-at-rs-100-22gb-at-rs-2000.html#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:09:34 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=34930 BSNL has revised it's 3G data tariffs and also introduced 2 new plans for both Prepaid and Postpaid users. For Prepaid users there is a new plan offering 250MB of free usage at Rs.100 and 22GB of free usage at Rs.2000. Both data plans comes with a validity of 30 days. The revised prepaid plans are Rs.200 for 500MB and Rs.400 for 1GB . Postpaid users can get 250MB at Rs.80 per month and 22GB at Rs.1819 per month. The revised postpaid  plans are Rs.189 for 500MB and Rs.369 for 1GB. These tariffs are based on the information shared by MobiGyaan and we are not sure if these tariffs are available in select circles or PAN-India. [via MobiGyaan] ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/34930/bsnl-3g-tariffs-revised-get-250mb-at-rs-100-22gb-at-rs-2000.html/feed 10 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31910/bsnl-launches-sms-based-stv-activation-revised-2g3g-data-tariffs.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31910/bsnl-launches-sms-based-stv-activation-revised-2g3g-data-tariffs.html#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:30:30 +0000 Venkatesh Atluri http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=31910 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) have launched their SMS based tariff Recharging and Plan Migration facility for its GSM mobile service customers in Tamilnadu Telecom Circle. With this facility customers can change their tariff plan or recharge with desired STV without the need to go to a retailer or BSNL outlets to get your mobile recharged. Activation of Voice STV/Boosters through SMS by 2G Prepaid customers of all plans by themselves has been introduced in with effect from 24 Feb 2011. The details of the Voice STV/Boosters are as follows, The procedure for implementation for activation of the Voice STV/Boosters is For activating the Voice Booster, the customer should send SMS to 53733 with the appropriate key word – for example “VOICE45”. On receipt of the SMS , reply will be sent to the customer from 53733 that “Your request for activation of VOICE45 is received". On activation you will get on-net 1p/sec, off-net 1.2p/sec and Rs.40.80 will be deducted from your account. On receipt of the confirmation SMS, availability of the eligible balance is checked, and if there is sufficient balance, the service will be activated and the following message will be received.          "Dear Customer, your request for Booster 45 ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31910/bsnl-launches-sms-based-stv-activation-revised-2g3g-data-tariffs.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31899/bsnl-unlimited-3g-plans-now-gone.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31899/bsnl-unlimited-3g-plans-now-gone.html#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:23:04 +0000 Venkatesh Atluri http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=31899 It has been the biggest dissapointment for all the BSNL mobile internet users, as the company has decided to discontinue its famous unlimited 3G data plans. It was a sad news for all those heavy users, who like to spend most of their time on the Internet. The unlimited data plans were considered to be hot cakes in the market, since no other service provider was offering any kind of unlimited plans on 3G. BSNL provided the Unlimited 3G plans at a price of Rs.1359/month(post-paid) and Rs.1499/month(pre-paid). Now new plans with a download limit have been launched.The new limited 3G plans have come into effect from 18 Feb 2011. Prepaid 3G Plans 15 GB Plan: Rs 1500/month 35 GB Plan: Rs 3000/month Postpaid 3G Plans 15GB Plan: Rs 1359/month 35 GB Plan: Rs 2720/month To know more details about BSNL 3G tariff plans click here. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31899/bsnl-unlimited-3g-plans-now-gone.html/feed 11 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29710/airtel-vs-bsnl-vs-tata-docomo-3g-tariffs-comparison.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29710/airtel-vs-bsnl-vs-tata-docomo-3g-tariffs-comparison.html#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:53:52 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=29710 We decided to compare the 3G Tariffs from Airtel , BSNL and Tata Docomo in the Bangalore,  Karnataka Circle. This circle was chosen because it is the only circle maximum Operators are offering 3G as of today. Reliance was not included because it has launched 3G in this circle.This comparison only takes into account the Prepaid tariffs and our main focus is on the Data Usage charges. We have included Video Calling charges too. We have omitted the basic cost such as the SIM procurement charges. While we have paid lot of attention to the numbers in this comparison , feel free to let us know in case you find any mistake. Base Data charges without any Packs( Pay as You Go ) BSNL is the most affordable with charges of 1paise per 10 Kb while Airtel charges 30p per 20 Kb. So it works out to Rs.1 per MB on BSNL, Rs.15 per MB on Airtel and Rs.10 per MB on Tata Docomo. Minimum Plan Charges While both Airtel and BSNL require only basic validity and talktime , Tata Docomo requires that you choose Rs.350 plan with free talktime before subscribing to Data Packs. Unlimited Data BSNL offers unlimited Data at Rs.1499 per month. You can get it ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29710/airtel-vs-bsnl-vs-tata-docomo-3g-tariffs-comparison.html/feed 57 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29781/bsnl-3g-ipad-plans-tariffs.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29781/bsnl-3g-ipad-plans-tariffs.html#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:57:58 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=29781 We just told you about BSNL launching the 3G plans for the Apple iPad and we have got the tariffs for you.There are both prepaid and postpaid plans.  Unlimited usage costs Rs.999 per month in both prepaid and and postpaid In prepaid there is a also a daily unlimited plan. There is a limited usage plan at Rs.599 per month with free 6GB of usage. BSNL 3G Data Plans for iPad Prepaid Plans Starter Pack in Rs.100 Free Usage with Activation 1 GB/month for six months Unlimited monthly plan Rs.999 with 30 days validity Limited monthly plan - 6GB free data and 1p / 10KB after limit Rs.599 with 30 days validity Daily Plan Rs.99 with 1 day validity Unlimited Usage Postpaid Plans Activation Charges Rs.100 Monthly charges Rs.999 Usage Unlimted ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29781/bsnl-3g-ipad-plans-tariffs.html/feed 20 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29554/bsnl-3g-launching-ipad-plans.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29554/bsnl-3g-launching-ipad-plans.html#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:34:21 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=29554 BSNL sent in a note that it is launching special data plans for the Apple iPad. This makes total sense because the device is rumored to hit India this month. Here is what the release says "BSNL today announced it will offer dedicated data plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G in India beginning January 28, 2011. All data plans will be available without a contract, providing the freedom to activate or cancel a plan at any time." “We are thrilled to provide data plans for iPad in India,” said Shri Gopal Das, CMD, BSNL. “Our customized plan for iPad users will ensure users experience the best 3G and data services while enjoying iPad on BSNL’s high-speed network.” While BSNL has not spoken about the exact tariffs for the iPad plans ,  there are unconfirmed reports that it is going to be around Rs.999 for unlimited usage . So this news from BSNL adds some support for the Jan 28 iPad India Launch rumor. So if BSNL is going to provide a microSIM with unlimited data usage ,  I m sure iPhone 4 users would love to use it too ! ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29554/bsnl-3g-launching-ipad-plans.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29263/complete-guide-to-mnp-offers-in-india.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29263/complete-guide-to-mnp-offers-in-india.html#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:08:33 +0000 ArunD http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=29263 We told you that Mobile Number Portability aka MNP has gone live in India today and we have compiled a list of offers from all major mobile operators. BSNL BSNL waives off Port-in charges, Also they are giving away 32K SIM free of cost. In case of specific demand for other SIMs, actual SIM price will be charged. Prepaid a) At the time of activation of all port-in customers, additional talk value of Rs.100 will be offered in addition to the normal free talk value available with FRC. b) All port-in customers will be offered 5 GB GPRS for one month free of charge. Postpaid a) 50% rebate in the FMC of first month after port in. b) 5GB GPRS will be free of charge for one month. Free GPRS/DATA usage associated with FMC shall not available for one month. c) Freebies attached with the plan will remain same. d) Where ever, the data usage offered with existing plans is more than the data usage offered, the higher data usages already offered will prevail. For all Telecom Circles except Haryana the above tariff will be implemented with effect from the date of implementation of MNP. In respect of Haryana Telecom Circle, the above tariff will be effective ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29263/complete-guide-to-mnp-offers-in-india.html/feed 20 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27427/bsnl-3g-service-now-available-for-apple-ipod-bummer.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27427/bsnl-3g-service-now-available-for-apple-ipod-bummer.html#comments Sat, 04 Dec 2010 13:22:34 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=27427 Believe it or not BSNL has tied up with Apple to offer a special 3G service for the Apple iPod. Neither does the iPod have a 3G feature nor do we buy the idea of Apple tying up with BSNL. It's just baseless misinformation. Normally we have blogs accused of spreading wrong information. But now we have several top publications carrying this hilarious story on the front page of their websites. I suspect the there was some confusion between the iPod and iPad and there were some rumors that BSNL is offering microSIM cards on request. We shall update you about that new soon. But for now , enjoy the weekend humor ! Read More ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27427/bsnl-3g-service-now-available-for-apple-ipod-bummer.html/feed 8 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27004/mnp-bsnl-offers-free-talk-time-and-unlimited-gprs.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27004/mnp-bsnl-offers-free-talk-time-and-unlimited-gprs.html#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:27:09 +0000 Omkar Dutta http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=27004 Mobile Number Portability (MNP) was expected to start from November 1 in India, but it was delayed due to some reasons. We recently posted that MNP will be finally rolled out this Thursday in Rohtak district of Haryana. This is definitely a good news for us, since most of us wanted to change our service provider without changing the mobile number. We have another good news for you regarding the MNP. According to the guys at Telecomtalk, BSNL will offer free talktime and unlimited GPRS for those, who will shifts to BSNL from other telecom operators. We are not sure, if the news is true, but this is a great move from BSNL to attract new customers. Currently this offer is available only in Haryana circle. BSNL is the first operator to announce the MNP offers. We are expecting other operators to join the bandwagon soon. Mr. Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Communications & IT and Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana will inaugurate the MNP service tomorrow at a function in Rohtak. Are you planning to shift to BSNL? Let us know your views in the comments below. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27004/mnp-bsnl-offers-free-talk-time-and-unlimited-gprs.html/feed 17 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/19458/apple-iphone-4-works-over-bsnl-3g-in-india.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/19458/apple-iphone-4-works-over-bsnl-3g-in-india.html#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:33:24 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=19458 At FoneArena we know you users very well. We understand that a lot of you like to buy a phone when you are traveling. This holds good for brands like Apple which totally neglect the Indian market. So we decided to get our hands on the Apple iPhone 4 32GB Factory Unlocked (SIM Free) Model courtesy of our beloved friend from UK. Honestly , the first thing I tried when I got hold of the phone was to hold it by left hand corner. The phone had a O2 UK MicroSIM inside and it was on International roaming and displayed Aircel. As you can see in the image below, the signal never dropped and showed full  5 Bars. We headed back to our labs and decided to convert a spare BSNL 3G SIM card into a microSIM so that we can get 3G working on this phone. We ran into a problem. In India some SIM cards such as Vodafone and Aircel have a smaller chip but Airtel , BSNL have large chips. So we had to be extra careful not to chop of the metal part. We finally managed to get a BSNL 3G SIM Card in the shape of the microsIM ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/19458/apple-iphone-4-works-over-bsnl-3g-in-india.html/feed 206 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/16235/now-recharge-bsnl-3g-data-vouchers-online.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/16235/now-recharge-bsnl-3g-data-vouchers-online.html#comments Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:33:41 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=16235 Until now if you had to recharge your BSNL 3G SIM Card for Data usage you had to go to a BSNL Mobile Shop or Exchange do the Easy Recharge for the Data Recharge Vouchers . Now finally BSNL is offering the facility to do 3G Data Recharge online as you can see in the screenshots . If you compare the amounts in the drop down to our recent chart the online rechage vouchers also include the service tax at 10.3% BSNL 3G in Chennai offers pretty good speed of 1 Mbps most of the time as you can see in our speed test Thx Shivranjan You can also send us news tips using the Tip Us Link ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/16235/now-recharge-bsnl-3g-data-vouchers-online.html/feed 37 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/15681/huawei-u7510-is-3g-brew-phone-from-bsnl-and-does-not-run-android.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/15681/huawei-u7510-is-3g-brew-phone-from-bsnl-and-does-not-run-android.html#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:56:58 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=15681 BSNL has launched a new handset to promote its 3G services with the Huawei U7510 which is a BREW based phone with a Touchscreen.The handset is being sold bundled with Free Video Calls , Talk Time and 3G Data usage in Tamil Nadu Features include a 2 Megapixel Camera , 100 MB internal memory along with a Memory card slot, Bluetooth.  It also has a front Video calling camera. The phone comes in 3 colors - green , black and red as I spotted this one at the Yoigo store in Spain. Huawei U7510 Price The handset will cost you Rs.6500 but the 3G Bundle will cost you Rs.6750 . Along with the bundle you get free 25 MB data usage per month for 2 months , 30 minutes of free video calls per month for 6 months and Rs.50 talktime per month for 6 months. Via TelecomTalk and it does not run Android as the source claims ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/15681/huawei-u7510-is-3g-brew-phone-from-bsnl-and-does-not-run-android.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/15263/bsnl-3g-data-recharge-vouchers.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/15263/bsnl-3g-data-recharge-vouchers.html#comments Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:30:27 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=15263 BSNL 3G is a actually a great service apart from the poor customer support. I barely use my Airtel Mobile Office GPRS connection after I got my BSNL 3G connection. I still have it because , Airtel's network coverage is pretty good. But GPRS/EDGE is slow so I prefer using 3G. I get an average speed of  800Kbps to 1 Mbps.  Now after my free usage got over, I was paying Rs.1 per MB approx from my prepaid account balance which is expensive. BSNL 3G has 3G Data plans which are actually pretty reasonably priced. There are plans ranging from Rs.249 (500 MB Free usage ) to Rs.2499 (unlimited). A lot of users have been asking about how to recharge the 3G SIM cards with more usage. BSNL 3G Prepaid Data Plans So here are the various plans available. The best value for money plan is the 549 plan with comes with 1 GB of free day time usage and 5GB of night time usage. The night time is from 11pm to 7 am. And if you are roaming from your 3G area to another area which has BSNL 3G , you can still use the Free 3G usage. The above plan charges ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/15263/bsnl-3g-data-recharge-vouchers.html/feed 32 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/14885/bsnl-3g-data-card-and-reliance-netconnect-broadband-price-drop.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/14885/bsnl-3g-data-card-and-reliance-netconnect-broadband-price-drop.html#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:04:11 +0000 Omkar Dutta http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=14885 BSNL and Reliance has finally reduced the price of their USB modem in order to attract a large number of internet users in India. Both the data card offers postpaid plans as well as prepaid vouchers and they come with some attractive offers. BSNL offers unlimited data plans while Reliance does not offer any unlimited data plans. The price of the BSNL data card has been reduced from Rs.3500 to Rs.2500. It comes with free data usage of 6GB per month, for the first two months. Out of 6GB, only 1GB can be used in day while the remaining 5GB should be used at night. BSNL tariff plans starts from Rs.249 to Rs.2499. BSNL 3G data card offers speed up to 3.6 Mbps and 7.2 Mbps for some devices. BSNL 3G services are available in more than 370 cities across India. BSNL also provides unlimited usage at Rs.2499 per month. Check out all the data plans here. The price of Reliance data card has been reduced from Rs.3500 to Rs.2299. It comes with free data usage of 10GB during the first month, for all the prepaid subscribers while the postpaid users can get Rs.200 discount per month, for the first 12 months. Reliance NetConnect ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/14885/bsnl-3g-data-card-and-reliance-netconnect-broadband-price-drop.html/feed 66 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13308/bsnl-3g-now-in-mangalore-surathkal-udupi.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13308/bsnl-3g-now-in-mangalore-surathkal-udupi.html#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:30:57 +0000 Team FoneArena http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=13308 BSNL has launched 3G  services in Mangalore District  after Chennai, Bangalore , Hyderabad and Kerala The 3G services will be first available in Surathkal, Baikampady, Mangalore, Ullal, Deralakatte and Udupi . It will be available in other parts of the Mangalore district in a phased manner. The 3G tariffs are same as in other circles.  Many FoneArena users in Mangalore seem to use highend handsets and arrival of BSNL 3G should be great news for them Check out the FoneARena BSNL 3G Speed Test .  This is how the BSNL 3G sim card looks like Go grab one now !  its only BSNL who is offering 3G in India ( part from MTNL in in Mumbai and Delhi) ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13308/bsnl-3g-now-in-mangalore-surathkal-udupi.html/feed 3 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13081/bangalore-thiruvananthapuram-and-now-hyderabad-witness-bsnl-3g-services.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13081/bangalore-thiruvananthapuram-and-now-hyderabad-witness-bsnl-3g-services.html#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:46:12 +0000 Deepak http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=13081 Its not been more then couple of days when we posted about the launch of BSNL 3G services in Thiruvanathapuram. Soon after the launch of high speed 3G services in Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram, 3G services are now launched in the state capital of Andhra pradesh – Hyderabad! Apart from the state capital, the service is launched in 29 other cities and towns of Andra pradesh that includes some of the well knows places like Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Warangal, Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Khammam, Anantapur, Cuddapah, Kurnool, East Godavari, Chittoor, Guntur, West Godavari, Krishna, Nellore, Prakasam, Srikakulam,Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and Vizianagaram. To convert BSNL 2G numbers to 3G numbers, existing prepaid customers need to send an SMS: “M3G120” to 53733 whereas Postpaid customers need to send M3G25 to 53733. As usual, new subscribers can buy new 3G SIM starting from 59 INR. You may also like to read some of the below posts from our archives: After Bangalore, BSNL Launches its 3G Services in Thiruvananthapuram BSNL 3G tariffs Review of BSNL 3G services Launch of 3G services for Kerala ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13081/bangalore-thiruvananthapuram-and-now-hyderabad-witness-bsnl-3g-services.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13026/bsnl-customers-in-bihar-now-roam-unlimited.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13026/bsnl-customers-in-bihar-now-roam-unlimited.html#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:44:44 +0000 Deepak http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=13026 BSNL have recently launched a very exciting tariff voucher in Bihar circle that will let its customers to roam unlimited without having to worry about incoming call charges and high bills. The special tariff voucher is available for BSNL prepaid customers in Bihar costing Rs. 222 per week or Rs. 888/month that will let its users to make unlimited free calls to own network, calls to others at a flat rate and free incoming facility even while in roaming. The table below shows you what exactly would be the tariff for you with this roaming voucher: Tariff while in in home circle Rate Local/std calls to BSNL network Free Local/STD calls to other networks 1 paise per minute Tariff while roaming Local/STD calls to BSNL Free Local/STD calls to others 1.2 paise per minute Incoming while in roaming Free – Unlimited As mentioned earlier, the rate of these unlimited BSNL calling and free romaing incoming STV (Special tariff voucher) is Rs. 222 per week and Rs. 888 per month. This is a promotional scheme for BSNL customers in Bihar available upto 25th March. Related reading: Make BSNL to BSNL Calls for Free With Special Tariff Vouchers BSNL 3G Tariffs / Plans Unleashed ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/13026/bsnl-customers-in-bihar-now-roam-unlimited.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/12899/after-bangalore-bsnl-launches-its-3g-services-in-thiruvananthapuram.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/12899/after-bangalore-bsnl-launches-its-3g-services-in-thiruvananthapuram.html#comments Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:55:23 +0000 Deepak http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=12899 Earlier this week, BSNL launched its 3G services in Bangalore in the presence of the telecom minister - A. Raja. After the successful rollout in Bangalore, BSNL have now launched its high speed data transfer 3G services in Thiruvananthapuram but this time it was Sashi Tharoor (Minister of state for external affairs) who was being invited to launch the services. New subscribers opting for 3G services can get started by purchasing a 3G SIM from any retail outlet by paying Rs. 59 or the existing BSNL mobile subscribers can migrate to 3G services just by sending an SMS “M3G120” to 53733. You can also apply for BSNL 3G services online. You can refer our earlier post for BSNL 3G tariffs and also have a look on FoneArena’s review of BSNL 3G services. BSNL announced 3G services for Kerala back in January ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/12899/after-bangalore-bsnl-launches-its-3g-services-in-thiruvananthapuram.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/11072/bsnl-apple-iphone-3g-speed-test.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/11072/bsnl-apple-iphone-3g-speed-test.html#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:54:41 +0000 Team FoneArena http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=11072 Till now , we have used the iPhone 3G for making calls , listening to music , checking email,playing games, watching videos over a wi-fi hotspot . But now we had the chance to test the real big feature of the iPhone 3G - The inclusion of  Third Generation Technology which gives you broadband like speeds on the road.Since the unit we tested was an unlocked and jailbroken one, we had little trouble to get the BSNL SIM Card recognized. Then we had to goto Settings->General->Network and set Enable 3G to ON Then we set the Access Point or APN under the Cellular Data Network as gprssouth.cellone.in The phone was still connecting only over EDGE and failed to show the 3G indicator. We restarted the phone and were blessed with 3G speeds as you can see in the screenshot above. But the Battery is draining faster now thanks to the increased power consumption. We get a 3G signal indoors pretty easily with Nokia and Samsung phones. But we could manage to get a 3G signal on the iPhone only outdoors. Anyone using BSNL 3G on their iPhone ? Do you have any issue getting it to work ? Let us know ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/11072/bsnl-apple-iphone-3g-speed-test.html/feed 17 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/10768/enjoy-3g-speeds-with-bsnl-in-kerala-from-today.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/10768/enjoy-3g-speeds-with-bsnl-in-kerala-from-today.html#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:30:54 +0000 Team FoneArena http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=10768 Starting today State-owned BSNL or The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is rolling out 3G services in God's Own Country - Kerala. It was launched in Kozhikode today. The 3.5G technology-based coverage would be available in 21 cities covering all the district headquarters in Kerala Circle . This is a smart move by BSNL as Kerala is a hot tourist destination and both Domestic and International travelers frequent this state. BSNL aims to provide 2.55 lakh 3G connections in the Kerala Circle, including 37,758 lines in Kozhikode city and suburban areas and 1,469 lines in Kalpetta. Over 100 base stations are being set up in Kozhikode for the roll out ! Check out our Speed test of BSNL 3G in Chennai and here are the tariffs for the prepaid users Wouldn't it be cool to enjoy 3G speeds when you are in a boat house in the back waters ? Anyone from Kerala tried the service already ? ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/10768/enjoy-3g-speeds-with-bsnl-in-kerala-from-today.html/feed 16 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/9290/bsnl-3g-chennai-speed-test.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/9290/bsnl-3g-chennai-speed-test.html#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:33:58 +0000 Team FoneArena http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=9290 BSNL announced Commercial 3G services in Chennai and we already have a report for you. We grabbed our 3G SIM Card for Rs.179.  Required documents were 2 Photographs and Photocopy of an ID proof. You need to fill a form which is common for all Prepaid mobile connections these days. And once you are done with the formalities , you get the SIM card in a Credit Card size holder. We grabbed two of these so that we could test Video Calling. Luckily we have a lot of handsets lying around in the FoneArena Test Labs . We popped the first SIM in the Nokia N97 and the 2nd one in the Samsung Omnia HD.  Since we keep our phones on GSM only mode to conserve battery and 3G is just coming up, we had to change the Network setting to Dual mode. We have tested 3G on AT&T USA , T-Mobile USA, Vodafone UK and O2 UK but experiencing 3G in your motherland India is always something to cheer about. No wonder we are all excited about the launch. After some initial hiccups about settings we figured out the access point to be simply gprssouth.cellone.in Just this and none of the another ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/9290/bsnl-3g-chennai-speed-test.html/feed 158 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/9256/bsnl-launches-3g-mobile-services-commercially.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/9256/bsnl-launches-3g-mobile-services-commercially.html#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:40:32 +0000 Vikas SN http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=9256 BSNL Chennai Telephones recorded a first of sorts for South India yesterday with the commercial launch of 3G mobile services. Touted to be the next generation in mobile technology, 3G services will enable you to access Internet on the move with a speed of upto 3.6 Mbps and allow you to do video calling, watch mobile TV and other media rich applications. In a press conference, Mr A. Subramanian, Chief General Manager, Chennai Telephones told "In about two months, we expect to add another 250 Node B stations to the existing network of about 300 units to provide seamless 3G connectivity across Chennai and adjoining districts". Various Demos like Streaming a Youtube without buffering, watching live television on the device effortlessly and a remote video monitoring feature, where video footage from a camera plugged to a broadband facility in South Korea streamed effortlessly on a 3G-supported mobile handset, were done at the event which showcased the true potential of 3G technology. In this scheme, all the local voice calls and video calls are going to cost 30 paise/min and all the STD video calls will be 50 paise/min. Data usage charges are currently planned at 1 ps/10 kb but there is a possibility ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/9256/bsnl-launches-3g-mobile-services-commercially.html/feed 10