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Airtel to invest Rs 400 Cr in Karnataka

Airtel, a leading mobile services provider in the country, would invest Rs 400 crores during the year 2005-06 as part of its expansion plan in Karnataka, Company Executive Director (Southern Region-Mobility) Atul Bindal said today

Bangalore: Airtel, a leading mobile services provider in the country, would invest Rs 400 crores during the year 2005-06 as part of its expansion plan in Karnataka, Company Executive Director (Southern Region-Mobility) Atul Bindal said today.

Talking to newsmen here, he said that with 1.5 million customers in the state, Karnataka was the second largest Circle in Bharti Televentures’ network which is playing a pioneering role in increasing mobile penetration in the country.

Mr Bindal said that with the projected expansion plan, the company by end of the year planning to reach out to approximately 45 per cent of the population in the state with a robust network that will span about 730 towns. It was intended to set up 600 additional cell sites across the state taking the total number to 1800 to ensure better reach than competitors.

The idea was to expand mobile network in rural areas and drive segmented applications and value added services in urban and semi urban markets, he said and added that the Company see lot of potential for development in Northern Districts like Gulbarga and Hubli.

Bharati Televentures COO Deepak Mehrotra said that the Company has adopted a three prong strategy–innovation, quality and outsourcing, to achieve its planned development. Bharati has recently signed agreements to outsource its call center operations to some of the best international BPOs. The agreement with Hinduja TMT, IBM Daksh, Mphasis and TeleTech services would enhance quality of customer service delivery to its customers across the country, he added.

Mr Mehrotra said that Airtel has moved towards setting up of a Future Factory in Bangalore fully dedicated to explore innovation and development of path-breaking applications for mobile customers across the country. Customers in cities like Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai were looking towards mobile commerce and the Future Factory here would take up development of drive applications that use mobile phone as a payment instrument for ticketing, money transfer and other commerce transactions.

He said under rural programme the company would focus on developing applications to make mobile telephone more relevant to the segment.

Be Very Careful About Nokia Phones Lying Around

Next time you hold a sensitive meeting, you might want to see if anybody around you has a Nokia telephone. And don’t be so sure the phone is turned off.

AGLAYA, a small Indian company is offer for just $250 software that can convert any Nokia 6600 model telephone into a spyphone.

"When someone calls the phone, it rings and operates as a normal telephone but when the phone is called using the pre-defined number, it automatically answers without any ringing, lights, change in the phones screen display or creating logs," the company’s website brags, adding "The phone works like a normal mobile phone and so shows nothing suspicious or unusual to the user."

AGLAYA says "you can access the phone from anywhere in the world with no range limitations, just dial in and listen."

The solution to all this? Ban telephones – or at least take out the batteries – that is if you can find them.

Via [Spero Forum Weblog]

Super Series to be live on mobiles

More than 30 million cell phone users in the country can watch the Johnnie Walker Super series cricket live when the tournament starts on October 5

New Delhi, Oct 4.(PTI): More than 30 million cell phone users in the country can watch the Johnnie Walker Super series cricket live when the tournament starts on October 5.

Reliance, BSNL, IDEA, Aircel, Tata Indicom, BPL, Spice, MTNL subscribers can watch the cricket series on their GPRS-enabled cell phones thanks to IMImobiles.

ICC has given the rights to three service providers in India — Airtel, Hutch and IMImobile.

Airtel sets up 1000th cell site

Cellular service provider, Airtel on Friday installed 1000th cell site in Maharashtra and Goa circle at Katol, 40 km from Nagpur, and claimed to have become first private player to do so

Cellular service provider, Airtel on Friday installed 1000th cell site in Maharashtra and Goa circle at Katol, 40 km from Nagpur, and claimed to have become first private player to do so.

"The total number of base stations will touch 1500 by March next year and Airtel will enter over 300 new towns across Maharashtra and Goa thus spanning the coverage to a total 550 towns and 33 districts," Chief Operating Officer, Bharti Televentures, Christopher Tobit told reporters.

Airtel will offer superior quality network in key tourist and pilgrimage destinations including Shirdi, Trimbakshwar, Mahabaleshwar, Shanishingnaapur, Nanded, Pandharpur, Lonavala and Khandala with an investment to the tune of Rs 250 crore for network expansion, capacity enhancement and other infrastructure, he said.

The company will also commission its third mobile switch centre (MSC) in second capital by end of March 2006, he said, adding during the current fiscal, Airtel will be covering additional highways like Bhusawal-Shegaon, Dhule-Nashik and Mumbai-Goa besides rail and road network on Mumbai-Goa and Vasai-Ahmedabad by next March.

Tobit said they will be launching 62 additional new towns and three new districts of Washim, Gadchiroli and Hingoli by March end.

It is also introducing network on wheels (NOW) and would be deploying five such NOWs in Maharashtra and Goa, he added.

Source:PTI

Hutch unveils voice response in Kannada

Hutch, one of the leading cellular service providers, on Tuesday announced the launch of content on the voice response platform in three more languages namely Kannada, Telugu and Tamil in addition to the already available English and Hindi languages

Samuel Selvakumar, director (operations), Hutch, told reporters here that this innovative voice enabled service will enable customers to access a range of offerings in the language of their choice and will be in tune with the Hutch philosophy of facilitating communication in a manner that is convenient.

Cellular launch services in Andman and Nicobar by March 06 says Hutch

Hutch would launch mobile phone services in the Andaman and Nicobar by March, 2006 while aiming to double the customer base in the Bengal circle in the next one year.

"We will be launching our cellular services in Andaman and Nicobar within the next few months, ie. By the end of the current financial year," Sridhar Rao, CEO, Hutchison Telecom East Limited, told reporters on Wednesday.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Chota Recharge-Puri Baat’ coupon, he said the company expected to emulate its success story in the Bengal circle in the islands.

Hutch would be the third operator after BSNL and Airtel to launch its cellular services in the islands.

Hutch rolls out Rs 10 recharge coupons

Hutchison Essar has launched a new recharge voucher that enables subscribers to top-up pre-paid connections with denominations as low as Rs 10

Hutchison Essar has launched a new recharge voucher that enables subscribers to top-up pre-paid connections with denominations as low as Rs 10.

“The new coupon will help make pre-paid usage even more affordable to both ‘Hutch’ and ‘Orange’ users, and offers more talktime at the same cost, therefore more value for money,” said Naveen Chopra, corporate vice-present, group marketing of Hutchison Essar at a press conference.

Earlier, the voucher could be used only as an ‘add-on card’. This meant that the card can be used to make calls when the recharged value of a coupon expires, but the validity period continues.

The customer can then recharge using a Chota Recharge again after buying a Rs 199 card within the 30-day validity period. Even though, the customer gets additional talktime for the amount recharged, it does not extend his validity period.

A user can recharge any number of times within the validity period without paying any extra fee. This will bring in a significant change in the pre-paid industry and going mobile will become more affordable, he said.

With this launch, Chota Recharge becomes the lowest recharge voucher available in the country.

Prior to this launch, the add-on recharge card available with the Rs 199 voucher was of Rs 55 and Rs 60. These cards also had access fees. Earlier, Airtel had also rolled out recharge vouchers in low denominations of Rs 60 and Rs 120.

Source:business-standard

MTV Loveline On Mobile Phones

Coruscant Tec, a leading mobile solutions company that specialises in mobile content and commerce, today announced the launch of a new mobile social software called MTV Loveline in association with MTV India. The MTV Loveline will be available to subscribers on the Airtel, Hutch, RPG Cellular, BSNL, BPL and Tata Tele networks

Mumbai : Coruscant Tec, a leading mobile solutions company that specialises in mobile content and commerce, today announced the launch of a new mobile social software called MTV Loveline in association with MTV India. The MTV Loveline will be available to subscribers on the Airtel, Hutch, RPG Cellular, BSNL, BPL and Tata Tele networks.

The MTV Loveline platform is currently available over SMS and as a JAVA download over GPRS. All users need to do is SMS "love" to 6882 to access the MTV Loveline. The JAVA download version also allows the user to create and choose between different mobile chatrooms along with several other interactive features.

The company has ensured that elaborate security filters which include up to four levels of auto-monitoring and keyword searches filtering objectionable content are available.

In the words of Ajay Adiseshann, managing director, Coruscant Tec, "Social Software is the next killer enabler that everyone has been waiting for. MTV Loveline will set a trend in itself and Coruscant is proud to be a pioneer in this space".

On the future on mobile data applications, he added, "With voice being commoditised, the need for newer data applications is being increasingly felt. Coruscant’s vision is to identify these areas and empower users by empowering their mobiles." (See: Shop till your cell drops!)

Industry insiders predict that by 2008 there will be 16.3 million users of mobile chat and entertainment services, with a cumulative annual growth rate to 76.3 percent. Social software on mobiles is set to become one of the pillars in the mobile entertainment space alongside ringtones, wall papers etc.

Source:http://www.domain-b.com/infotech/itnews/2005/20050928_launches.html

Data cards enhance mobile Net access

As India Inc rushes towards increasing productivity per employee, IT and communication products enabling wireless connectivity are rapidly flooding the marketplace. Data cards — which deliver broadband wireless capability to laptops and other computing devices — currently offered by telecom service operators like Reliance Infocomm, Tata Teleservices and Airtel, among others, are empowering the mobile professional to access the internet anytime, anywhere.

source:http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=102214

God now just an SMS away

Mauj Telecom launches a spiritual service that will enable users to offer prayers using a code

Mauj Telecom launches a spiritual service that will enable users to offer prayers using a code 7077.

God is now just an SMS away. For those who have no time to visit temples, here’s an opportunity to be in touch with Him. Silent prayers are passe. You can offer flowers, light incense sticks and more while on the move.

Mauj Telecom, a wireless content provider, launched a spiritual channel early this week that will enable mobile users to perform elaborate prayers using a short code 7077.

The company claims having 500 downloads on the first day of the launch early this week.

If a user wants to perform, say a Ganesh puja, all he has to do is download the relevant application from the short code.

At the next stage, he will be able to say a prayer in the following manner: Key 1 — light the lamp; key 2 — offer durva (grass); key 3 — offer garland; key 4 — offer modaks (sweet); key 5 — ring bells; and finally, key 6 — rendition of the aarti.

Source:Business Standardvisit mauj

Calls b/w Chennai-TN, Mumbai-Maha, Kolkata-WB made local

In a major benefit to mobile subscribers, Government today said that calls between Chennai and rest of the Tamil Nadu and likewise between Mumbai and Maharashtra, Kolkata and West Bengal, and in the whole of Uttar Pradesh would be treated as local calls.

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) In a major benefit to mobile subscribers, Government today said that calls between Chennai and rest of the Tamil Nadu and likewise between Mumbai and Maharashtra, Kolkata and West Bengal, and in the whole of Uttar Pradesh would be treated as local calls. This would result in saving roaming and long distance (STD) charges for consumers, Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran said, adding that service providers would continue to operate in the same manner based on telecom circles. The minister said the facility would be only for calls terminating in the mobile network. This means calls from mobile to mobile and fixed to mobile within the states would be considered local. Till now the three metros — Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai and the rest of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra — were treated as two separate telecom circles. Similarly in Uttar Pradesh, which has been bifurcated into two telecom circles for licence purposes, the consumers in UP (East) and UP (West) would be able to connect as local calls now. The new policy comes into effect from May 25, the minister said. PTI

Guy sends 182,689 SMS in one month

A gentleman from Ludhiana (India) found a unique way for getting his name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. He sent 182,689 SMS in one month.
That makes 6000 text messages a day.

It looks like we have a new record here, close to 200’000 text messages sent in a single month.

A gentleman from Ludhiana (India) found a unique way for getting his name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. He sent 182,689 SMS in one month.

That makes 6000 text messages a day.

Deepak Sharma aims to increase the number to 300,000 in the coming month.

Deepak sends messages to all his relatives and friends, who fortunately, fully support in his endeavour.

His wireless operator, Airtel, sent him a 1,411 page bill.

Source:Webindia

Kolkata, mobile phones in buses

In a major technical achievement, the Calcutta State Transport Corporation has launched mobile phone facility in buses in collaboration with…

In a major technical achievement, the Calcutta State Transport Corporation has launched mobile phone facility in buses in collaboration with India s telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), according to the Hindustan Times.

"Through this facility, first of its kind in India, commuters can now make local calls within the city range while travelling."

Bharti to spend $1 bn on 3G rollout

Bharti Televentures on Monday said it will invest one billion dollars on the rollout of third generation (3G) mobile phone networks across India. “We have committed one billion dollars for roll out of 3G networks across the country,” Bharti Televentures Managing Director Akhil Gupta said at a seminar on 3G technology.

NEW DELHI: Bharti Televentures on Monday said it will invest one billion dollars on the rollout of third generation (3G) mobile phone networks across India. "We have committed one billion dollars for roll out of 3G networks across the country," Bharti Televentures Managing Director Akhil Gupta said at a seminar on 3G technology. The company is already running tests of 3G technology at some places. "We have to ensure that 3G does not remain a niche technology. It must not be confined to a particular section or geography," he said adding it should be rolled out in each and every state so that it makes commercial sense. Gupta said when the frequency is allotted to operators for 3G services, they should come with stringent rollout obligations.

"It (the frequency) must not remain an asset in the locker (of operator). Strict rollout obligations backed by bank guarantees should be set for operators so that the technology spreads," he added.

Government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is also gearing up to rollout 3G networks.

"Our next rollout will have provision of 3G services throughout the country. We have the equipment and are waiting for the spectrum to start the tests," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director A K Sinha said.

He said by late 2005 or early 2006 the country would see the commercial rollout of 3G services.

SOURCE PTI

Indian GSM body sets up 200 mln target by 2007

India’s GSM mobile user base is expected to touch 200 million customers by 2007 as firms ramp up networks in rural areas and slash rates to woo customers in the hotly competitive market, a leading industry body said on Tuesday

With more than 52 million users, India’s fast maturing mobile services sector is already the world’s fastest growing wireless market as cut-rate tariffs are pulling in some 1.7 million new customers each month.

“The Indian GSM cellular industry has matured with most GSM networks making profits and are well positioned to reach the 200-million mark by 2007,” a joint statement by the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said.

NEW DELHI – India’s GSM mobile user base is expected to touch 200 million customers by 2007 as firms ramp up networks in rural areas and slash rates to woo customers in the hotly competitive market, a leading industry body said on Tuesday