Decreasing mobile phone tariffs, staying connected has never been cheaper!

Cell phone tariffs is one of the very few services, if not the only one, that has taken a downward slide over the years and continues to do so - thanks to the reduction in Access Deficit Charges by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). As the rates have fallen by almost 35 percent over the recent past, India has become the cheapest place in the world for mobile phone tariffs. At the current prodigious mobile phone adopters' growth rate, Indian market is expected to soon become one of the top five markets within the next five years.



Reliance Infocomm. is the pioneer in orchestrating the mobile tariff price war with their aggressive pricing and marketing strategies. The company charges a tariff of about Rs.1.79-per-minute in the pre-paid category, whereas Re 1-per-minute is charged for the post-paid category. The Reliance India Card allows calls from Reliance India Mobile (RIM) to any Reliance phone, has become quite popular with charges of Re 1-per-minute and STD calls for Rs 2-per-minute to any Reliance phone. The Airtel 150 Plan charges Rs. 2 per-minute in the post-paid category for any calls to a phone in the GSM cellular network. In the pre-paid category, the company charges Rs.2.25 for any call to a cell, WLL or fixed line. In order to commemorate the company's footprint in twenty-three mobile zone circles in the nation, they have announced reduction in roaming rates to Rs 1.99.



Tata Indicom is also offering competitive rates such as Rs.1.25 per minute, for local calls to any phone, local calls to Tata phones at 40 paise, free incoming roaming and STD calls to any phone in India at local rates. Hutsh has recently drastically reduced their tariffs by 33 percent charging only Rs1.99 per minute for roaming airtime charges for prepaid and post-paid subscribers. For the post-paid category, the company has introduced such plans as "Talk299", "Talk699" and "Talk899" with zero rentals, in exchange for a fixed amount to be paid each month for airtime. Hutch is now offering a Rs.199 recharge voucher for 30 days for the pre-paid customers.



The mobile service provider industry is steering towards an oligarchy, with the smaller companies not being able to match the operating synergies of the multi-nationals. With soaring prices on every other item in the market, a lower cell phone ownership cost is a welcome relief and encourages us to stay connected with our loved ones!