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Orange, BPL Mobile slash prices in Bombay to match MTNL

NetScribes/Sunil Joshi

BPL Mobile and Orange have both decided to pare their cellular rates in Bombay in response to the low tariffs at which state-owned MTNL plans to launch its service in the metropolis.

Just hours after BPL Mobile announced its decision to slash its rates in Bombay, rival Orange followed suit.

Following a hectic round of deliberations, Orange has decided to match BPL Mobile's new tariff structure. The new tariff structure will be effective midnight of February 15, 2000.

Under its TalkEasy plan, Orange has decided to slash its rates to Rs 2.80 per minute for outgoing calls and Rs 1.60 per minute for incoming calls.

Under the present structure, both incoming and outgoing calls are charged at Rs 4.00 per minute.

Under the popular Talk500 plan, users will now be charged Rs 2.65 per minute for outgoing calls and Rs 1.50 per minute for incoming calls. The existing tariff structure stands at Rs 3 per minute for both incoming and outgoing calls.

For the Talk 1000 plan, the new tariff structure will be Rs 2.25 per minute for outgoing calls and Rs 1.25 per minute for incoming calls. The existing tariff structure stands at Rs 3 per minute for both incoming and outgoing calls.

The Talk2800 plan will be replaced by a new plan called Talk Incoming, under which outgoing calls will be charged at Re 1 per minute, while all incoming calls will be free. However, the charges for this scheme will be Rs 1,995 per month as against Rs 2,800 previously.

No airtime charges will be levied on subscribers under the Talk Unlimited scheme for both incoming and outgoing calls. However, there will be a monthly charge of Rs 2,995 per month vis-à-vis Rs 4,000 per month previously.

Under the revised Talk Share scheme, all outgoing calls will be charge at Rs 2.65 per minute and incoming calls at Rs 1.50 per minute. This is against Rs 3.25 per minute for both incoming and outgoing calls previously. However, there will be a monthly charge of Rs 800 per month.

The revised TalkShare Plus stands at Rs 2.65 per minute and incoming calls at Rs 1.50 per minute. This is against Rs 3.25 per minute for both incoming and outgoing calls previously. However, there will be a monthly charge of Rs 1,100 per month.

The new TalkShare 1300 plan will be revised to Rs 2.25 per minute for outgoing calls and Rs 1.25 per minute for incoming calls. This is against Orange's current rates of Rs 2.75 per minute for both incoming and outgoing calls under this plan.

The modified TalkShare 1300 Plus plan will now stand at Rs 2.25 per minute for all outgoing calls and Rs 1.25 per minute for incoming calls; against Rs 2.75 per minute for both outgoing and incoming calls.

Toeing BPL Mobile's line, Orange has also decided to halve rates for its Short Messaging Services (SMS) to Re 1 per message from the present level of Rs 2 per minute.

However, the NightSpeak facility charges have been hiked from the current charge of Rs 99 per month to Rs 149 per month.

Earlier, BPL Mobile has slashed its cellular rates in response to the low tariffs at which state-owned MTNL plans to launch its service in the metropolis.

Subscription for MTNL's Dolphin cellular service in Bombay begins on February 15, 2001.

The new BPL Bombay rates are only about 10 paise higher than the proposed MTNL rates.

Under the new tariff, the company plans to charge Rs 2.80 per minute for outgoing calls and Rs 1.60 per minute for incoming ones. According to a senior company official, the new tariff structure will come into effect shortly.

The company's other tariff plans have also been reformatted. The Value Standard plan, under which both incoming and outgoing calls were charged at Rs 4 per minute, now stands at Rs 2.80 per minute for outgoing calls and Rs 1.60 for incoming calls.

The company also plans to introduce two new plans. Under the Value 499 plan, outgoing calls will be charged at Rs 2.65 per minute, while incoming calls will be charged at Rs 1.50 per minute. The Value 999 plan will peg outgoing calls at Rs 2.25 per minute and incoming calls at Rs 1.25 per minute.

The charges for the Value Incoming plan have also been slashed to Rs 2,000 from the existing structure of Rs 2,800. Under this plan, outgoing calls are charged at Re 1 per minute, while all incoming calls are free.

Also, the tariffs for the Value Unlimited Plan have also been slashed to Rs 2,999 per month from Rs 3,999 per month. Under this plan, no airtime is charged for both incoming and outgoing calls.

In addition, the company also plans to increase the rental for its 9 pm-9 am (9 to 9) free service, to Rs 150 from Rs 99 previously. However, the charges for the short message service (SMS) will be dropped to Re 1 per message from Rs 2 per message being charged currently.

SEE ALSO:

MTNL sets Rs 2.70 per minute for mobile call

SIM card scarcity delayed MTNL cellular service

MTNL flags off New Delhi mobile service

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