Virgin Mobile to charge local rates for STD calls

14 October 2008

Mumbai: "Geography is history, call anywhere in India @ just 50 paise / minute on prepaid," is the latest marketing salvo in the competitive Indian mobile services market from mobile virtual network operator, Virgin Mobile, which hasdropped all India STD and local rates on prepaid to 50 paise per minute without any pack or extra cost. Virgin Mobile branded services are being offered to the Indian consumers by Tata Teleservices through a brand franchise with Virgin.

It says "customers can now call any number (mobile or landline) across networks, across India at only 50 paise per minute after the initial three minutes of the day."
 
Close on the heels of its ''get paid for incoming,'' Virgin Mobile, which has branded itself as the first youth focused mobile service in India, announced this tariff for the prepaid segment to "allow Virgin Mobile youth customers to make STD and Local calls @50paise per minute without any extra charges, commitments or a pack.

Virgin Mobile also allows calls between Virgin Mobile users at 10 paise per minute for upto 700 local minutes for a nominal monthly commitment of Rs28, available through a vPower recharge voucher, making it one of the most attractive packs for the young in the market. Interstingly users can call their peers virtually for free as its 'Get Paid for Incoming' proposition allows users to earn 10 paise credit per minute from every incoming call.

True to its brand philosophy, ''Think Hatke'', the company unveiled the new tariff offer in a fun, cheeky and innovative style.  The unveiling was the bringing down of a vinyl, which had a photograph of a male lower torso clad in a pair of jeans and carried a teaser, ''We are dropping ours.''    

According to M A Madhusudan, CEO, Virgin Mobile India, since the young are high users of mobile services, this offer will meet their needs by providing a value proposition on long distance calling.

He said, "STD comprises around 25 per cent of their outgoing usage in minutes but importantly their spends on STD are as high as 50 per cent.