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.
</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.
<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.

</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.