The Hindu Business Line : Reliance Info pre-paid base set to cross 1 m

Mr Shukla said the current total subscriber base of Reliance Infocomm is around 7 million though pre-paid subscriber base is expected to overtake the post-paid base within this year itself.

Bangalore , April 14

THE pre-paid subscriber base of Reliance Infocomm, which was launched nearly two months ago, is set to cross the 1-million mark soon even as the company has already withdrawn two post-paid schemes.

"Our pre-paid scheme should cross the 1-million subscriber base soon," the Reliance Infocomm President for Wireless Products and Services, Mr S.P. Shukla, told Business Line. The scheme was launched in mid-February.

But the company has withdrawn two of its major post-paid schemes quietly. The Monsoon Hangama scheme, introduced in July 2003, was withdrawn a few months ago. The scheme was for a limited period, while the Dhirubhai Ambani Pioneer Offer (DAPO), which was launched along with Reliance IndiaMobile service too stands withdrawn. The DAPO scheme put Reliance Infocomm on the fast track picking up a few million subscribers within a year of its launch. Reliance Infocomm has, however, continued with other post-paid offers such as Budget 149 and 249, Economy 149 schemes.

Mr Shukla said the current total subscriber base of Reliance Infocomm is around 7 million though pre-paid subscriber base is expected to overtake the post-paid base within this year itself.

He said unlike GSM operators whose subscriber base is heavily tilted towards pre-paid, Reliance base will be more balanced.

He added that the post-paid, pre-paid ratio will be more balanced compared with that of GSM operators' subscriber base.

Mr Shukla said as Reliance had extended data-rich handsets to even pre-paid subscribers, it had been able to push sales faster.

However, the Internet based R-World, which offers live video of news and games, is expected to go pay from July 1.

R-world gets nearly 40 million hits everyday. The Internet service provided on the handset has also made the company the leading ISP in the country.

Mr Shukla said the pre-paid scheme has been made extremely flexible, which allows dealers to customise the scheme, according to the needs of the subscribers.

For example, a subscriber can either opt for the standard scheme of Rs 3,500, which includes a handset, and 10 free vouchers of Rs 320 each or pay a lower amount but get lesser free vouchers.

There are a total of 12 handsets which have been bundled with the schemes ranging from Rs 3,500 to Rs 35,000.

Mr Shukla said the total cellular subscriber base of all operators was growing at around 2 million per month and Reliance Infocomm had a 30 per cent share of the market.

More Stories on : Telecommunications | Telecommunications

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Reliance Info pre-paid base set to cross 1 m

Moser Baer plans facility in Germany

SEBI amends norms on venture capital funds

Securitisation Act anti-labour: Unions

NCP to make poll issue of Maersk bid for JNPT terminal

To tackle cyber crimes — Govt plans new norms for search, seizure of digital info