Mar 10, 2003 05:05 PM
3183 Views
(Updated Mar 10, 2003 05:05 PM)
Well....i have been reading a lot of reviews on the India Mobile and to tell you all the truth, Shivshankar_a has a very...very valid point when it comes to speculation on this issue.
To make matters easier let me tell you that I have been a hardcore user of AirTel services for almost 2 years now and have had no problems at all....however I had applied for a reliance mobile around the 20th of Feb and received it on the 2nd of March!.....
To sum it all up ..for those who are not very sure about things ...let me clarify...
Connectivity: not very good! but cant blame reliance bcoz there is absolutely NO billing for calls made before April 1st!!! this means that everybody who has a reliance mobile uses it to the MAX. the total traffic also includes DATA ACCESS by people connecting to the Internet!! We all know about the state of affairs when AirTel announced free outgoing after 9 for a few days earlier!!!....
Support: BAD! somebody was right in saying that it takes almost half an hour for a customer support executive to take your call!!!... Also, nobody is very sure about anything right now. even the reliance dealers are at a loss to explain many discrepancies in tariff plans.
Tariff: Contrary to what people may think, after repeated visits to Reliance WebWorld here in hyderabad, I have come to the conclusion that reliance users should be ready to shell out an additional .30Rs./min as IUC (Inter-user connectivity) charges!! The WebWorld here already has a detailed TARIFF PLAN catering to all types of Reliance connectivity...check it out sometime at a store near you!!!...
Handset: To tell you all a fact whomsoever has seen the set has been pretty much impressed by it. This includes GSM users also! However the only thing worrying them is NOT the hardware but the quality of signal and reliability of the provider!!!..aah!!...CDMA!!
Certain other facts!
The problem with the scheme is that at a glance it sounds TOO GOOD to be true!!!...this leaves the people very uneasy when it comes to a commitment for 3 years...
well, after a lot of research and delving into this topic I have unraveled certain startling points regarding the same.
# How will Reliance get a Return on Investment (ROI) for such a massive infrastructural set-up?
- First of all (and this may be news to some of u!!!), reliance isnt looking at mobile communications(WLL) as the sole form of making money. A detailed interview with Mr. Mukesh Ambani (can be read at https://business-standard.com) reveals that his main aim is to use the EXISTING FIBER-OPTIC INFRASTRUCTURE (erected for India Mobile) for lots of other uses. By 2004 end, these cables would not only carry voice data( from WLL), but also form the basis for Enterprise connectivity, high-speed internet connections to homes and offices at every locality, satellite channel connectivity, bandwidth allocation to Cyber-cafes, connections to various Reliance WebWorld outlets throughout the city, public telephone Booths and their connectivity, etc. In short, this single ONE TIME investment would take care of all future forays into the communications segment!!!
# Why is Reliance India Mobile talktime so cheap?
- Reliance has only one thing to say about this. DATA TRANSFER! the main aim of the India Mobile is to make people addicted to internet access on the Mobile!!...NOT talking as every one expects!!
secondly, research statistics have also proved that the main reason for the downfall of data access on Mobiles in the US has been due to costly data rates. THIS has been eliminated on the IndiaMobile!!! Data access would cost the same as voice access on these devices!! In fact Mr. Mukesh Ambani goes one step further to prove that data access on these phones are faster and cheaper than even the current US rates (.5$ an hour as opposed to almost 3$ in the US).
#How do they give an LG mobile for free???!!!!
- A lot of people may agree to the fact that reliance has entered into an agreement with LG and SAMSUNG for reduced rates. Well....that is only HALF TRUE!!!..
The actual fact is that for the first time in world history, Reliance has entered into a TRI-PARTY AGREEMENT with LG/SAMSUNG(CDMA handset makers) and none other than.....QUALCOMM (USA).
QUALCOMM is the company which came out with CDMA technology for the first time( i.e. the developers of the technology)!!! LG and SAMSUNG have to pay heavy costs as license fees for imbibing this technology into their sets. However, with this agreement, QUALCOMM has slashed its rates to a large extent thereby enabling the manufacture of cheaper handsets!!!
why? because according to the agreement, Reliance has agreed to purchase at least 20,000 pieces of each model every YEAR!!!...
In short, the cost (per mono handset) to reliance comes to around 2,400/- which they already cover in the club membership charges initially!!!
As far as content upgradation and addition charges are concerned, they make it up in the monthly club membership fees (Rs.100/-which comes to around 3600/- per person for 3 years) PLUS they get the handset interest as an added BONUS!!
....when it comes to statistics there is much more to write (trust me) but the crux of the matter is that they are making BIG money!!! and given their history they would do anything to keep making this kind of money for years to come. therefore, people can rest assured that IndiaMobile would turn out to be the cheapest and the best option for at least a couple of years to come!!
[NOTE: ALL STATISTICS GIVEN ABOVE ARE TAKEN FROM TRUSTED SOURCES ON THE NET. FOR VERIFICATION PLEASE FEEL FREE TO BROWSE AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF!]
