Tata Tele introduces pay per call; no matter the duration

New Delhi: Tata Teleservices India's major CDMA player may have given another jolt to major telecom companies in India by introducing the pay per call system for its pre-paid customers according to which callers will be billed for each call they make never mind the number of minutes used.

In this the company has done away with the pulse-system, the traditional way of charging for a telephone call. Earlier Tata Tele had launched the pay per second billing system which it termed as being 'game changer' in the industry.

The pay per call offer is available only for its pre-paid customers who will be charged at Re 1 per local call and Rs3 for every STD call. Hence a local call will cost only Re1 even if the customer were to speak for two hours while an STD call to any network in the country will be charged at Rs 3 irrespective of the number of minutes used.

The service is available on all new Tata Indicom connections, and existing subscribers can opt for the offer with a one-time recharge of Rs 96.

''Pay per Call will not just change the pricing paradigm in the telecom space - it also marks a giant step in Tata Teleservices' evolution as a telecom operator. We are proud to introduce this path-breaking value proposition for Indian telecom users,'' Anil Sardana, managing director, Tata Teleservices said.

The company says that there is no catch in this offer or any hidden charges. Sardana said. ''The fact that this offer is for both local and STD calls makes it unique, something that holds the potential to completely redefine the Indian telecom pricing paradigm,'' he said.