Posted by Just Watch All Over World on 20:58
Vodafone
has launched 3G services in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh in partnership
with Idea Cellular as Vodafone doesn't have spectrum in these circles.
It will also launch 3G services in UP West with Airtel as a partner.
Last
year Tata Docomo was the first private operator to launch 3G services
in India and others joined the bandwagon after that. But the spread of
3G is still too slow and many regions of India still await services.
However, mobile subscribers of Airtel, Vodafone and Idea need not be
disappointed as the three are working with each other to have nationwide
presence through intra circle roaming agreements.
Sharing their
views on inter and intra circle roaming, Vodafone and Airtel
spokespersons said, "Roaming agreements - both inter and intra circle -
are the norm in the Indian telecom industry since they help a service
provider to provide seamless service to its customers. Airtel has
entered into a bilateral roaming agreement, both inter and intra circle,
with Vodafone and Idea to provide 3G services to our customers in the
circles where we have not built our own 3G network. With this agreement
in place, Airtel will bring a pan-India experience of 3G services to its
customers."
Vodafone
Vodafone
is offering 3G services in 49 towns and cities of Andhra Pradesh to its
subscribers using Idea's network. In Kerala too it is using the service
provider's network for offering 3G.
The tariff plan provided by
Vodafone in these circles is quite affordable despite being made
available through a rival network. In Kerala, a Vodafone prepaid
customer can avail 50 MB of 3G data for Rs 26 a day. Rs 101 gives 200 MB
for 30 days, and 1 GB of data over three days comes for Rs 375. For
postpaid customers only plans that cost Rs 100 and Rs 375 are also
available.
In Andhra Pradesh, Vodafone users can experience 3G at
no extra cost over and above their current 2G data charges, but the
catch is that these special data offers are valid only till the end of
July after which regular tariff is implemented.
Airtel
Similarly,
Bharti Airtel has entered an intra-circle roaming agreement with Idea
to offer 3G services in Gujarat. Its tariff plans are the same as those
it offers in circles where it has its own network.
Basic plans
start at Rs 8, which gets you 10 MB for a day and Rs 61 for 65 MB over
three days. Standard plans start at Rs 101, which gives 100 MB for 30
days, and go up to Rs 750 for 2 GB of data over one month.
While a
FlexiShield plan is also available with 1.25 GB of data at 3G speeds
and 2 paise for 100 KB thereafter till you reach a maximum bill of Rs
2,000. Once you have reached this cap you can access unlimited data but
at a reduced speed of 20
Idea
On
the other hand, Idea is offering 3G services in Delhi and Kolkata using
Vodafone's network because it has no spectrum in these cities. Idea's
subscribers can avail 3G in the two metros using sachet or regular
plans.
The sachet plan is same for Delhi and Kolkata subscribers.
Users can get 20 MB of data at Rs 7, while Rs 52 will buy 100 MB of 3G
data for three days. Extra usage will be charged at 5 paise for 10 KB in
all the plans.
Apart from that, Idea prepaid customers in Delhi
can also buy 200 MB of data for Rs 102, while Rs 100 will get 100 MB if
you are postpaid customer. Rs 1,250 is the highest plan value which
gives 10 GB of data for a month for both prepaid and postpaid users.
For
Idea's prepaid subscribers in Kolkata, on the other hand, the choice is
limited to only one usage based plan for Rs 103 per 200 MB of data, but
postpaid users have more choice than their counterparts in Delhi with
maximum plan value going up to Rs 5,000 for 30 GB of data.
An
interesting trend in the offering by Airtel, Vodafone and Idea is that
Vodafone, in a bid to promote 3G services, is offering services at a
rate, which is subsidised relative to that offered by the other two
operators for the initial period of two months.
We hope these
partnerships will also provide frequent travelers an opportunity to be
connected through 3G even while traveling. None of the operators have a
nationwide 3G license so these agreements become important in having a
countrywide network so that people can roam freely across the country
and yet connect through a high speed network.
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