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CHENNAI , July 16

AIRTEL, the cellular phone service of the Bharti group, is introducing local calling rate across both Tamil Nadu and Chennai circles. This means that AirTel subscribers can now call any other mobile number within the State at a single rate — Re one per minute for post-paid customers and Rs 2.40 per minute for pre-paid subscribers, according to AirTel officials.

Calls made by subscribers while roaming in Tamil Nadu and Chennai circles would cost Re one per minute for post-paid and Rs 2.40 a minute for pre-paid. The PSTN component would continue to be charged while roaming, Mr P. Swaminathan, CEO, South Hub, Bharti Cellular Ltd, said and pointed out that roaming was a value added service and hence would not come under the composite tariff that had been announced.

While roaming, the rate had dropped from the earlier level of Rs three per minute. Also, the 15 per cent mark up on roaming would not be charged. All incoming calls would be free even while roaming between Tamil Nadu and Chennai.

This tariff — called One State, One Rate by AirTel — comes into effect from July 21.

At the end of June, AirTel had 288,538 subscribers in the two circles — 218,165 in the Chennai circle and 70,373 in the Tamil Nadu circle. AirTel launched its service in the Tamil Nadu circle a year ago.

Mr Manoj Kohli, President, Mobility Leaders Ltd, Bharti Televentures, and Mr Swaminathan told a press conference here on Tuesday that both usage and the number of subscribers were expected to go up thanks to the new plan, because of which there would not be any revenue loss. On the contrary, there would be increase in revenue, they said.

Mr Kohli said AirTel hoped to become the market leader in each of the circles it had launched services in the last one year. Towards this end, it would come out with more such schemes.

It would shortly announce a major initiative tying up with a handset manufacturer to offer subscribers the handsets at reduced prices. From the customers' viewpoint, AirTel's composite tariff offer made Tamil Nadu and Chennai circles seamless.

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