15 paise a min, Infocomm's new offensive

Taking the price war in the telecom industry to new heights, Reliance Infocomm today launched a new recharge voucher (RCV) offering calls at 15 paise within the circle and free unlimited night calls within the state.

The rates are applicable only for calls made to the company's mobile phones and will be billed on a 60-second pulse rate. The recharge voucher, valid for one month, is priced at Rs 495 and has Rs 275.

Calls to Reliance fixed phones and all other mobiles within the circle will be billed at 40 paise and 80 paise per minute, respectively.

The voucher enables a subscriber to effectively make 1,800 minutes worth of day time calls over a month, and free, unlimited night calls within the state, Reliance Infocomm said in a release here today.

In comparison, Tata Indicom offers free outgoing calls in the same circle under its 0123 plan for calls from Tata to Tata phones, Re 1 for calls to other phones, and Rs 3 for STD calls. The company bills calls at Rs 1.20 per three minutes from fixed line to mobile phones.

The lowest pre-paid tariff for Idea Cellular is 30 paise for a 60-second call within Maharashtra, 50 paise for Bharti Tele-Ventures on calls made from Airtel to Airtel. Hutch levies 99 paise for calls to local mobile phones and Rs 1.99 for calls to mobile phones (except CellOne) in Goa and Maharashtra.

Reliance Infocomm, a company of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprises group, is positioning its new recharge voucher for heavy business users, youth and similar segments having high night call needs.

According to S P Shukla, president (wireless), Reliance Infocomm, "We have launched this power-packed recharge voucher based on market feedback and it is designed to benefit millions of our subscribers who have a high calling requirement. It combines the benefits of low day time rates and free night calls to RIM and high talk time for calls to other phones."

The Anil Ambani-controlled company had earlier launched a recharge voucher of Rs 430, which provided intra-circle calls to any RIM for 40 paise during the day, along with free and unlimited night calls.

The company earlier launched a lifetime pre-paid voucher of Rs 995, coupled with an SMS bonanza along with its "Marathon SMS Pack".

The scheme allows a subscriber to send 18,000 short messages over a six-month period, after topping it up with a Rs 180 coupon. Later, it launched the one-nation one-tariff plan which will be applicable on e-recharge of Rs 1,100, inclusive of service tax.