RCom launches GSM mobile services in Mumbai

As a part of the nationwide roll out of its GSM services, CDMA major, Reliance Communications (RCom), today launched its GSM services in Mumbai. RCom, which became the first private CDMA in India to provide GSM services, had recently announced the launch of its GSM services across 11,000 towns in the country.

To capture its share in the fast growing GSM subscriber base with special focus on the segment of the population which provides less than Rs 300 as average revenue per user (ARPU), RCom has launched its services as competitive prices. In Mumbai, the company has launched a tariff plan which offers its customers a one-time subscription charge (including GSM SIM) of Rs 25.

The plan offers Rs 900 minutes of talktime on local calls and SMS to any network that can be accrued by Reliance Mobile GSM customers in daily tranches of Rs 10 spread over 90 days. After consuming Rs 10 during the day, the subscribers can use top up cards with denominations ranging between Rs 10 to Rs 500 with the same tariffs.

Over and above the free-talktime, the Reliance GSM customers will get unlimited calling on Reliance network (both GSM and CDMA) free between 11 PM and 6 AM through out Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa, giving access to seven million Reliance phones in the region.

Commenting on the launch in Mumbai, Dinesh Gulati, Regional Head – West, Reliance Communications, said: “The Reliance Mobile GSM entails offering a unique value proposition fine-tuned as per the needs of every segment of the 250 million GSM customers market in the country.”

“Over 16 million GSM customers in Mumbai can now avail of state-of-the-art, next generation, EDGE ready Reliance Mobile GSM Network - the only network that offers digital voice clarity and up to 100 per cent cost savings for the cost-conscious mobile user segment,” added Gulati.

Other CDMA operator Tata Teleservices is also expected to roll out its GSM services this year. While new entrant, Shyam-Sistema is also eying the GSM space. With 75 per cent of the entire telecom space dominated by GSM operations this proves to be a lucrative option for the CDMA as well as new telecom players.