Idea Cellular to shift 1.5 million pre-paid users to per second billing
24 Sep 2015
GSM operator Idea Cellular plans to shift 1.5 million pre-paid users to per second billing (PSB) plan over the next 30 days. A per second billing plan is more affordable than existing plans, and this move follows a similar move by Bharti Airtel earlier this week.
Out of its total customer base of over 166 million, nearly 157 million are pre-paid users. The operator is planning to shift 1.5 million pre-paid users who are currently not on Per Minute Billing (PMB) plan.
''We have always been customer centric in our approach, offering choice and convenience to customers and hence we have been providing both PMB and PSB plans to users, so far. Henceforth, we will now be offering PSB plan, by default, to our entire base of nearly 157 million existing and new prepaid users,'' said Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer at Idea Cellular.
Idea Cellular has spent Rs4,050 crore (excluding spectrum) in
FY15 and has increased its capex plan for FY16 to Rs6,000-6,500 crore. The company will continue to invest in expanding its network of nearly 150,000 cell sites covering more than 360,000 towns and villages with voice and data offerings on 2G and 3G; and roll out 4G LTE services in 10 key markets, starting calendar year 2016.
Earlier on Monday, Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom operator by subscribers, moved all its pre-paid mobile customers in the country to per second billing plans.
Rolled out under the new 'Pay For What You Use' initiative as part of the company's 'Customer First' commitment, this will help ensure that customers pay only for the time they use the Airtel network.
Though a large majority of Airtel prepaid mobile customers were already on per second billing plan, with this initiative the company will ensure that all its pre-paid users are moved to the per second plan.
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