Reliance to launch 3-yr validity card

Reliance Infocomm is to launch a new prepaid scheme for its mobile phone customers on November 16 which aims to primarily attract new customers in rural areas.

The new scheme is initially being launched in three telecom circles: Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Gujarat. Reliance Infocomm officials, at a press conference today, said that the scheme was designed with affordability as the key objective.

Reliance's new scheme will allow prepaid customers to benefit from "three year free incoming facility." Recently Tata Tele launched a similar scheme with a shorter duration of free incoming calls.

Ajay Awasthi, head of Reliance's operations in Tamil Nadu (excluding Chennai), in a presentation on the new scheme, laid emphasis on Reliance's attempt to increase its rural penetration.

According to Awasthi, the rural teledensity in Tamil Nadu was 2.79 per cent in March 2005 as compared to the entire state teledensity of 13.56 per cent (the national teledensity stood at 9.10 per cent).

The new prepaid scheme would include a "sachet-like" reloading scheme which would range between denominations of Rs 10 and Rs 148.

The reloading denomination had been designed to make mobile connections affordable for rural customers in particular, he added.