Post by Aseem on Mar 5, 2011 13:37:20 GMT 5.5
“Let’s celebrate the birth of Zero paise per second… It will change the way you talk forever!” That’s how Videocon’s promotional one-liner envisages on ZeroIsHere.com for conceiving the birth of the revolutionary Next Generation tariff rate in mobile telephony.
Oh, really? Is it forever or a limited period offer only? There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. By now, you must have got a faint idea of what I am talking about. Yes, it is touted to be yet another telecom revolution – ‘ZERO paisa per second’ tariff plan. But, the devil lies in the detail and never in the headlines. Read on…
Basically, the scheme comes bundled up with selected models of Videocon handsets; wherein you get free local minutes on daily basis upto six months to one year depending upon the handset you choose to buy of the same brand.
Details of the Videocon handsets bundled with 0 paisa/sec plans:
V202 & V1292 – Free local 10 min daily for 6 months
V1404 & V1428 – Free local 10 min daily for 1 year
V1676 – 10 local minutes to any network daily for 1 year. (Plus: Free unlimited minutes to local Videocon numbers)
V7400 & V7500 – 30 local minutes to any network daily for 1 year. (Plus: Free unlimited minutes to local Videocon numbers)
From above, it is clear that the zero paisa scheme is valid only for the promotional period of offer. Further, unutilized free minutes will be forfeited daily. Post free minutes being consumed, all local and STD calls will be charged at 1 paisa/sec valid for 1 year from the activation date.
As such, I don’t see other telecom service providers being impacted substantially based on this innovative teaser scheme of Videocon. A big question being is this scheme all pervasive- Is it valid for the existing subscribers who do not wish to buy a new handset? Are only new subscribers targeted through this radical scheme?
Oh, really? Is it forever or a limited period offer only? There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. By now, you must have got a faint idea of what I am talking about. Yes, it is touted to be yet another telecom revolution – ‘ZERO paisa per second’ tariff plan. But, the devil lies in the detail and never in the headlines. Read on…
Basically, the scheme comes bundled up with selected models of Videocon handsets; wherein you get free local minutes on daily basis upto six months to one year depending upon the handset you choose to buy of the same brand.
Details of the Videocon handsets bundled with 0 paisa/sec plans:
V202 & V1292 – Free local 10 min daily for 6 months
V1404 & V1428 – Free local 10 min daily for 1 year
V1676 – 10 local minutes to any network daily for 1 year. (Plus: Free unlimited minutes to local Videocon numbers)
V7400 & V7500 – 30 local minutes to any network daily for 1 year. (Plus: Free unlimited minutes to local Videocon numbers)
From above, it is clear that the zero paisa scheme is valid only for the promotional period of offer. Further, unutilized free minutes will be forfeited daily. Post free minutes being consumed, all local and STD calls will be charged at 1 paisa/sec valid for 1 year from the activation date.
As such, I don’t see other telecom service providers being impacted substantially based on this innovative teaser scheme of Videocon. A big question being is this scheme all pervasive- Is it valid for the existing subscribers who do not wish to buy a new handset? Are only new subscribers targeted through this radical scheme?