'Chote Miyan Bade Miyan' Series on STEL

S Tel, Apnakara Nijara Phone, aligned to its philosophy of simple, uncomplicated and hassle free offering, today announced a series of attractive tariff plan under a common umbrella of CHOTE MIYAN BADE MIYAN for its subscribers in Odisha. S Tel subscribers can now choose a plan of their choice to match their budget and specific needs from a plethora of larger (Bade Miyan) as well as smaller denomination (Chote Miyan) plans comprising of rate cutters, bulk minutes for every segment ( Local, STD, ISD ) along with SMS and GPRS packs. 



Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Shamik Das, CEO, S Tel said, "During recent surveys conducted by S Tel, it was found that most customers were not aware of the Special Tariff Benefits beings offered by various operators. More so, these offers were so confusing that they were not able to compare them as well. True to S Tel philosophy of offering simple and uncomplicated yet attractive products, company has created a simple bouquet of products under 2 ranges - CHOTE MIYAN and BADE MIYAN. It is a series of chosen product packaged to match customers largest to the smallest communication needs."

He further added ," S Tel will continue to position itself as 'simple' &'transparent' brand that speaks the language of the local people, 'belongs' to them, and seeks to 'uncomplicate' & 'demystify' the lives of mobile user. The brand's purpose is to inspire inclusiveness, which resonates in everything it does - be it our tariffs, VAS, customer care or distribution. S Tel's baseline 'Apnakara Nijara Phone' is a true reflection of this spirit."

From two ranges - CHOTE MIYAN and BADE MIYAN, all products under first range 'CHOTE MIYAN' come with 30 days validity and have in-built talktime of Rs.10. The customer can enjoy choice of products like - SMS Dhamal that gives first 100 SMS (Local + National) free every day or 1p/2s Calling Karnama , offer that allows first 10,000 sec of Local & STD calls@1p/sec , making STD call as cheap as Local call. Similar attractive offer in this range include - GPRS Ka Maza, Flat Rate Kamal, Local S Tel masti & ISD dhamaka.

Similarly, BADE MIYAN, as the name suggests gives a larger benefit to its customers - a whopping validity of 90 days and in-built talk time of Rs.30. The second range packed with portfolio of products ranging from ISD dhamaka which gives to consumers lucrative first 5000 sec to Nepal& Gulf @10p/sec or Flat Rate Kamal with attractive tariffs as low as 30p/min for local calls & 40p/min for STD calls. SMS Dhamal, GPRS ka Maza, 1p/2p calling karnama or Local S Tel Masti complete the bouquet of choices in this range.

The details of CHOTE MIYAN BADE MIYAN series can be seen from table of benefits below:

Excited on launch of new series, Mr. Aravind Santhanam, COO, S Tel said, "S Tel prides itself in being an operator of choice for its subscriber making it truly "Apnakara Nijara Phone". With introduction of the 'CHOTE MIYAN BADE MIYAN' series, we have given our subscribers in Odisha the recharge options that cater exclusively to their usage requirements and budget. The series has been launched keeping in mind the different needs of the consumers ,be it rate cutters or bulk minutes ranging from SMS, Local, STD or ISD calls ,along with SMS and GPRS pack. S Tel has in the past & going forward will continue to bring unique and simple concepts to the consumer that will be packaged to meet their unaddressed telecom needs."

He further added, "With footprints across 112 census towns and 6070 villages in Odisha through 17,000 strong retail network and 63 distributors, S Tel customers can now ask for their favorite Bade Miyan or Chote Miyan plan from their convenient retail point."

In the recent past, S Tel had launched Ghar Baithe Mann Chahe plan chune, a unique 'Self recharge' concept for its subscribers. It also introduced a fascinating product to get connected to STEL - FRC 108. This pack enabled any new subscriber to come on board and enjoy free local talktime and free internet upto 90 days continuously for a mere Rs. 108.

Targeting the youth segment, S Tel introduced Mobile Internet services that provide Unlimited Download option across Daily, 10 Day and Monthly Plans. With each recharge consumer stands to get Free! Talk time. S Tel Adda WAP portal offers FREE browsing on subscribers WAP enabled phones where one can download ringtones, wallpapers, themes, videos, animations and games. S Tel has also introduced two Voice based service called Love Zone which provides love tips, shayari, and Mirch Masala zone that provides bollywood gossips, movie and music reviews and celebrity talk. This service is available on weekly subscription with unlimited usage.

S Tel also offers a basket of competitively priced VAS services on SMS and voice platform. S Tel's premium SMS alerts come at just Re.1/SMS. Consumer can subscribe to different SMS Subscription Alerts, Cricket, Jokes and Health at just Rs. 15 per month. At Re 1 they can also access voice portal services focused on mobile education, exam results, government jobs etc.
Subscribers can also make new friends with Hum Tum, a voice based chat service.

S Tel customer care in Odisha can be reached at +919132012345 from any landline or mobile number. Besides this, S Tel users can access the toll free customer care number 1212. source

Now, book your train ticket on cellphone

Your phone can double up as a train ticket now with the Indian Railways launching ‘m-ticket’ service, which does away with the need for paper tickets and printouts. If you have internet (GPRS) activated on your mobile, all you need to do is visit a new website called indianrailway.gov.in launched on Friday, and register for the service. An SMS will bring the link of a tiny mobile application to your phone. Using GPRS (mobile internet), install the “App”, and you will never need to bother about carrying tickets for train travel anymore.

All you need to do is show the ticket examiner the ‘mobile reservation voucher’— an SMS containing your reservation information and back it up with a valid photo ID.

“With mobile phones becoming gadgets for business productivity and entertainment besides telephony, railways had to make its services available in this space,” said a railway ministry spokesman.

The website is still weeding out minor kinks involving page loading and user registration, but the railways are surging ahead with the plan for mobile devices. Travel agents and such bulk customers have been barred from using the service, as each ID can book up to eight tickets per month.

While currently the mobile application is compatible with most GSM and CDMA phones, sources said officials are deliberating specific applications for Blackberry and iPhone. Mobile ticketing is just one aspect of the website. Passengers can also book retiring rooms in advance.source

From Generation To Generation

The lure of 3G notwithstanding, telecom players have a long road ahead if they are to monetise it
That which is well built
will never be torn down.
That which is well latched
cannot slip away.
Those who do things well
will be honoured from generation to generation
Tao Te Ching
The auction of 3G or ‘third-generation’ spectrum has been followed up by the rollout of services that will enable the delivery of a range of next generation services — video streaming, movie downloads, video calls and so on. With as much as Rs 67,719 crore invested by operators in 3G spectrum, they are bound to follow Tao Te Ching’s wisdom in introducing 3G services in the market.

Bharti Airtel is using experiential marketing wherein it has several red-coloured “3G buses” on the move in major cities. Users can step into these buses and have a firsthand experience of 3G mobile services like mobile TV, video calls, high-speed downloads and so on. Its print and outdoor ad screams: ‘Airtel 3G is here’. Tata DoCoMo, known to have one of the largest footprint in retail stores amongst telecom operators, is turning thousands of its shops into “experience stores”. Consumers can walk in and experience services like video SMS, video streaming, mobile television, ultra-high-speed data transfers, route-finder, and live aarti. This assisted experiential marketing would help in making the millions who have not used GPRS yet more familiar with what 3G is all about.
Many of us are familiar by now with Superhero ZooZoo flying all over our TV screens. That was Vodafone’s 3G launch strategy, that is, use its much-appreciated TV ads to announce the introduction of 3G services in India. Superhero ZooZoo stands for the brand personality of 3G — Faster, smarter and better — and helps educate subscribers on this new technology in a simple manner. The different things Superhero ZooZoo does in the TVC indirectly point to the quality of the 3G network that Vodafone aspires to offer. Vodafone is also offering free time-bound 3G trial to its current GPRS subscribers. This not only serves the purpose of pre-purchase service trial but also provides Vodafone with valuable usage data from which it can infer which services are more sought after, how the data consumption is likely to change after mass introduction of 3G services and so on.
On the other hand, Reliance is focusing more on partnerships to offer popular value-added services. It has tied up with Universal Music Group so as to offer music streaming and is promoting its new App Store on Reliance 3G that enables you to get directions while on the road, tips on cooking and yoga, and so on.
Lessons from PSUs
There are some lessons to be learned from BSNL/MTNL in terms of 3G strategies that did not work well. Users found their 2G to 3G SIM card exchange system complicated since one was required to send an SMS as “M3G120” to 53733 and confirm the SMS you get back as “M3G120 Y” to 53733. BSNL’s strategy of offering 3G services at the same price as 2G perhaps weaned subscribers from competition. However, this did not lead to higher data average revenue per user (ARPU) vis-à-vis the 2G network. (In Japan, innovative data plans and highlighting the relevance of 3G services have enabled high penetration and data ARPU.) Moreover, MTNL and BSNL were not able to provide enough marketing thrust to 3G services, thus leading to a lack of awareness of their 3G services. It must not be forgotten that the target customers for a service like 3G prefer young and energetic brands like Airtel and Vodafone.
To provide critical insights in order to close in on a strategy for the deployment of 3G services, the eTech Group@IMRB, active in the area of telecom-related market research for several years now, recently carried out a Syndicated Study on 3G Mobile Services in India christened “The World Of 3nity”. The first round of the study has been conducted amongst as many as 10,000 mobile subscribers and 1,520 establishments across top cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The study also covers views of several industry experts on the India 3G market. Mobile operators seem to be on the right track since as many as 72 per cent of mobile users assume understanding usage of 3G services would be complicated and someone would need to demonstrate it to them first.
The study reveals that only 9 per cent own a 3G-enabled handset, but 82 per cent are willing to switch to a new (3G-enabled) handset to avail 3G services, provided it lies in the Rs 4,200- 6,400 price band. This is in line with the fact that Indian handset manufacturers have already started offering 3G-enabled handsets at ‘middle class affordable’ prices. With a plethora of handsets in the market, the bigger issue is the pricing of the 3G services. As we know, India is a price-sensitive market and for 3G to percolate to the masses the price would need to be quite low and attractive — to start with. However, that is unlikely to happen given the huge cost of spectrum which itself is scarce and the fact that some of the winners are operating in the low-ARPU voice market.
The consumer segment study was carried out using random sampling with a minimum quota for some aspects such as SEC A, B, C & D and subscribers of the 3G spectrum winners while. The fieldwork was completed in December 2010.
As per the IMRB study, 32 per cent are aware of 3G mobile services. Amongst those who are aware, as many as 93 per cent associate video calling with 3G. Here is what an industry expert says about other 3G services: “Purely utilitarian stuff like traffic signal, map, directions, facilities, restaurants and purely entertainment stuff like gaming, infotainment will be very big. Casual gaming will dominate.”
Video versus voice
The report also reveals even more interesting information — that while video calling may be the most awaited 3G application, the main reason people would consider subscribing to 3G services is that 73 per cent of mobile subscribers believe it will mean better voice quality. Experts believe that in the first instance, 3G will be used by many operators to improve their overall network quality and retain voice customers.
Video calling could well emerge as the next big mobile application. Even the unlettered can use it to communicate. However, there are certain constraints — both sides need a double camera phone. It is ironical that rural citizens who require high-speed applications (telemedicine, e-education) the most can afford them the least. In Korea, the government accelerated the adoption of 3G with subsidies for operators as well as mobile phone manufacturers. In India too, the government and industry would need to work together to take 3G to the villages.
The business segment study was done purposely amongst those involved with mobile/telecom decision-making. In case of SMEs, mobile usage is restricted to voice. Besides, messaging is also used especially by small enterprises. However, awareness of specialised enterprise applications such as ERP and CRM on mobile was found to be abysmal. In order to increase penetration of 3G amongst enterprises, it is important to create higher awareness about how they can utilise 3G for business purposes.
We have seen in global markets that it takes time for 3G to transcend from a technology to becoming a household need. The recent rollout of 3G in China has seen only 4 per cent adoption after two years of aggressive marketing by the players and evident government backing. Since none of the operators have a national footprint we are likely to see partnerships being forged amongst operators to weave together a national offering. And with consolidation in the telecom industry on the cards in the next few years, only time will tell who religiously followed Tao Te Ching’s wisdom.

The author is Group Business Director, IMRB

source

Internet Users Doubled in 2010

Only 2.5% of total mobile subscribers are using mobile internet services according to the data provided by the Georgian National Communications Commission.  
According to the same data, the total number of mobile internet users was 445,489 as of 2010, out of which 417,640 subscribers were using GPRS internet, 19,656 - WAP/GPRS service and the remaining 8,193 were using HSDPA internet service.
 
The figures of mobile users have doubled compared to the year 2008 when total mobile internet service users were 215,701. The figures increased in 2009 - reaching 284,633 subscribers.
 
The total income from mobile internet service reached 3,773,588 GEL as of the first quarter of 2010. Total income exceeded 14 million GEL in 2009 and 12 million GEL in 2008.
 
As representatives of telecommunication companies said, the demand for mobile internet has doubled during the past two years especially.
 
“Bali is really now a dating service, if you really look at what the kids are doing with Bali they are spending more time on the internet than they are on the phone, so what we find is that we have invested a huge amount of money into our date network and we are constantly upgrading it, we are finding that young people are now using dating services more and more. It used to be SMS, but now it’s facebook, and email, chat, basically using your telephone as a computer,” said David Lee, General Director of Magticom.
 
Beeline told the FINANCIAL that demand for mobile internet approximately doubled during 2010.
 
“Demand for mobile internet has rapidly grown during the last few years, especially in the last 2 years. It is related to growing tourism infrastructure, because it is not possible to find access to fixed internet (ADLS, fiber optics, etc) everywhere, the only way to connect to the internet is via mobile phone,” a Beeline spokesperson told us. 
 
More than 20% of all Beeline subscribers use the internet on a regular basis.
 
The majority of mobile internet users are the teenage and middle aged segments of the population, basically surfing social network pages and checking emails.
 
“The reason for increased demand for mobile internet service is mainly the vast availability of the mobile networks, and subscribers’ demand for mobile services such as email and surfing ability on-the-go,” declared Irakli Lobzhanidze, Marketing Manager at Magticom.
 
As Lobzhanidze added the most surfed web pages are social networks such as facebook, internet search sites and mail.
“People have started to travel all over Georgia. Not only the local population needs internet access, but there are a lot of tourists coming to Georgia who use the internet even via Roaming. As well as that, business is expanding and internet connection is now needed not only in the main cities, but also in the more remote regions in the country. In parallel such community sites as facebook, Odnoklassniki and Skype which tie customers together so strongly have all become so well established, that the majority nowadays can’t live without using the internet for communication,” added Teona Bagdavadze, Beeline spokesperson. source