MNP: Where to switch ? (Bangalore)

M

MHG

Adept
I'm a Tata Docomo user for around 18 months now. This company went from everyone's dearest to one of the most pathetic.

<rant>

These people have started behaving like Airtel lately. First they had plan with 1ps/6sec tata-tata calls, and Rs. 10/week you could get other local calls @ 1p/2sec. Then they changed the thing so that the tata-tata discount got cancelled on going for any other rate cutter. Internet pack of 48rs/month with 2GB became first 1GB then only 21 days. Now its 65rs/month for 2.5GB. Oh and random deductions for random services and I need to shout at CC each time to get my balance back. Recharge for full talktime of 150 or 250 and the current plan of 200sms/day free disappears and gets replaced with 50ps for 1st two SMSes and this plan stays for a month. Basically Rs. 150 recharge is equivalent to 120 in reality, yet tata calls this as a "benefit". Oh and from now these people have no free SMS packs in their yearly plan renewals. All of them have daily Re.1/- deduction for SMS. Roaming rates increased suddenly from 1ps/sec all calls to 1.5ps/sec or something like that. And despite all this, their network coverage is nothing to boast about. Idiots behave like airtel but don't provide network like airtel. In several popular roads in Bangalore there are blind spots with no coverage, and reception indoors isn't great if you live in an apartment. Need to go to balcony each time to make a call. :mad:

</rant>

Anyway, I would like to switch. Can someone suggest good mobile providers to go to ?

Right now, what I want the most is something with a low monthly bill. GPRS is something which I cannot live without, and the same goes for SMS. Calls should be cheapest possible, and I dislike daily rentals in any form. All those monthly, weekly or daily packs for 1p/2sec calls don't seem to work out to be economical for me because I don't make calls at all some days and others lots of calls and I can't keep track of whether I'm gonna make a call that day or not and some days I make only 1 minute calls which is resulting in tata billing me 2p/sec for that minute.

So which is the best mobile provider in Namma Bengaluru ?

I've removed reliance because they are as overcharging as docomo, and removed airtel because they don't even have a 1ps/sec plan (minimum 1.2ps/sec which is pathetic).

How safe (safe in the sense shouldn't randomly activate stuff) are Uninor, Vodafone, Idea and Aircel ?

Aircel appears most attractive due to their plan of 1ps/2sec all local calls, 1p/6sec aircel-aircel local calls, 1p/sec other calls, 200sms/day free no rental and 1st minute any call @ re1/-. They have 98rs GPRA pack.

I am unable to find out what kind of GPRS pack is in Vodafone, but they've a decent all call 1p/sec plan and 100 sms daily free at no rental. Vodafone seems worth for network quality.

Idea - no idea about their GPRS pack. But they cut 1re/day for SMS and have 40ps/min billing for local calls - cheap but no per second billing for this plan. Their plan with 1ps/sec all calls and 365 days all recharges full talktime seems tempting (since it reduces chance for them to cut my balance).

Uninor I'm curious because they're one of the networks I get in my bathroom along with airtel, vodafone and reliance. So connection strength seems good.
 
Suggest you call up providers and ask for MNP Plan. I switched from Airtel to Docomo some time back, I got 1/2p per sec and daily 200 sms free, all recharges for first 12 months to have full talktime and so on. Normal users had only 1p/sec option.

When I was leaving airtel, they offered me a plan with 2p/3sec calls :p just do a MNP request and docomo will come up with a better offer, or ask others what are they willing to provide if you switch to their network.
 
For SMS on DOCOMO, use the Rs 6 pack

For full Talktime, do the 510 recharge through their online interface : you'll get 585 TT

For the balance deductions, try to resolve them through chat, usually thats much faster

All calls @ 1p/2sec does exist, but is quite expensive noe (around Rs30/2weeks)

Also, they have started charging for Missed call alert service @ 7/month (earlier it was free)
 
Aircel does have attractive plans but pathetic network in some areas specially if you are near RT nagar / Frazer town area,

Uninor good plans but bad network

Idea - never tried

Vodafone- Mediocre network and plans similar to Airtel
 
SunnyBoi said:
Suggest you call up providers and ask for MNP Plan. I switched from Airtel to Docomo some time back, I got 1/2p per sec and daily 200 sms free, all recharges for first 12 months to have full talktime and so on. Normal users had only 1p/sec option.

When I was leaving airtel, they offered me a plan with 2p/3sec calls :p just do a MNP request and docomo will come up with a better offer, or ask others what are they willing to provide if you switch to their network.
Click to expand...

Really ? Never knew this sort of thing existed. This for Prepaid ?

mehrotra.akash said:
For SMS on DOCOMO, use the Rs 6 pack

For full Talktime, do the 510 recharge through their online interface : you'll get 585 TT

For the balance deductions, try to resolve them through chat, usually thats much faster

All calls @ 1p/2sec does exist, but is quite expensive noe (around Rs30/2weeks)

Also, they have started charging for Missed call alert service @ 7/month (earlier it was free)
Click to expand...

Guess what ? The Rs. 6 pack gets superseeded by the 1re/day pack if you recharge full talk time.

And yeah I do use the chat. But its so bloody annoying to do it everytime this sort of deduction thing happens (btw this happens only on ONE of my two sims). They are still unable to tell WHY it happens, so if I miss out on a deduction, its gone. Few times I realize something's wrong, they give me my balance back.

And yeah missed call service is crap paid now.

ryanrulez4ever said:
Aircel does have attractive plans but pathetic network in some areas specially if you are near RT nagar / Frazer town area,

Uninor good plans but bad network

Idea - never tried

Vodafone- Mediocre network and plans similar to Airtel
Click to expand...

Does Aircel have issues with random deductions of balance and such crap ?
 
MHG said:
Really ? Never knew this sort of thing existed. This for Prepaid ?
Click to expand...

Yes, for prepaid. Try it, sent PORT <number> to 1909, they'll call you soon :p

When they called after I sent PORT SMS, they didnt give any good offers. After I submitted documents for MNP to tata docomo and got a new docomo SIM, they called me and desperately tried to retain me.

Oh I forgot, I got 1GB free 3G data as well :p
 
MHG said:
Guess what ? The Rs. 6 pack gets superseeded by the 1re/day pack if you recharge full talk time.
And yeah I do use the chat. But its so bloody annoying to do it everytime this sort of deduction thing happens (btw this happens only on ONE of my two sims). They are still unable to tell WHY it happens, so if I miss out on a deduction, its gone. Few times I realize something's wrong, they give me my balance back.

And yeah missed call service is crap paid now.
Click to expand...

yup, the Full talktime offer is designed in a way to block sms packs or the old customers with 60p first sms then 100 sms offer, that is why platinum recharge of 410/510 with talktime of 450/585 is better.

Even the missed call alerts is paid service now, we have to either subscribe to the monthly pack or if the usage of this service is low then can use 25ps/last 3 missed calls.
 
Well, I get ripped of 2ps/sec for first call daily (meaning 60ps per day extra) and 30 bucks/month for SMSes. Totals 18+30 = 48 bucks. Add that to 65 for internet get 113. Plus random deductions. Goes upto 125/month comfortably.

This simply isn't worth it. And browsing sites on opera mini does not consume even 300MB per month. Occasionally connecting to laptop to surf leads to monthly usage of 500mb max. So for me 2.5GB, 1GB all mean the same. Plus with the current GPRS speed, I'll be spending more on electricity bill if I download long enough to cover the quota, which is more of a gimmick than anything else.
 
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