Tata Teleservices launches prepay service on fixed wireless phones

Hyderabad: Tata Teleservices today announced the launch the Tata Indicom prepay service on fixed line wireless phones. Along with the prepaid cards, the company is offering a host of offers and incentives for customers.

According to the company, the service yields a saving of up to 25 per cent on the monthly telephone bill. On the purchase of a connection, which includes a handset, a host of introductory offers are provided, which include free SMS, two free recharge cards worth Rs540 each giving free talk time worth Rs900 and a choice of free gifts.

Speaking at the launch Dr Naresh Malhan, chief operating officer, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi circles, Tata Teleservices, "We are very proud to be the first to launch prepay service for fixed wireless phones in Andhra Pradesh. Our customers will benefit with the lowest tariffs in the fixed wireless market and can save up to 25 per cent on monthly telephone expenses." He added that the fixed wireless prepay is targeted at those customers who want greater control over their telephony expenses.

According to the scheme, customers will have to pay a one-time non refundable fee of Rs 2,000 towards the LG 340 handset along with an activation charge of Rs2,000 working out to total of
Rs4,000 as entry fee. For this customers will get 2 free recharge cards worth Rs540 each.

Each recharge card will have a validity of 30 days and a 30 day grace period to recharge the connection. The recharge cards come in denominations of Rs324 and Rs540 with talk times worth Rs225 and Rs450 respectively. The pulse rate is chargeable at 90 paise per pulse and the pulse for all local calls to a fixed line / WLL will be 180 seconds and 60 seconds for mobiles. The phones come with caller ID.

According to the company, the Tata Indicom prepay service is at present among the cheapest in the country with a one-minute call from Hyderabad to New Delhi costing Rs 2.7 per minute and Hyderabad to US Rs5.40 per minute.

Speaking on the sidelines of the press conference, Dr Malhan said, "Tata Indicom is the first to launch CDMA fixed line wireless phones in the prepaid segment. The rationale for getting into this segment is the future growth potential here, since the prepaid segment in mobile services has grown rapidly and now comprises 80 per cent of the market. We want to tap this segment in fixed line phones also and expect it to grow very fast."

He revealed that Tata Teleservices, which operates in 8 circles at present, would soon launch operations in a number of new circles including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.