Archive for category Mobiles
Unitech Wireless will offer post-paid connections this year
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Departments, Information, Mobiles, Other, Public, government, modification, tamilnadu on May 3rd, 2010
Unitech Wireless, which entered the mobile telephony market late with only prepaid tariff plans, will offer post-paid connections this year, a company official said here Monday.
“Our focus this year will be on post-paid connections. Our ratio of prepaid to post-paid will be 80:20 in line with the industry trend,” Stefan Kercza, head (Tamil Nadu and Kerala circle), told IANS.
Unitech Wireless, which started its services last December, has a pan-India subscriber base of around 4.2 million.
Kercza is confident the client base would go up owing to its new tariff plan that offers a discount of 5-60 percent on the basic call rate of 0.50 paise per minute, but declined to hazard a guess as to the number of new subscribers the company would get in Tamil Nadu.
According to him, the scheme is to make optimum utilisation of network infrastructure.
Further, as Indians prefer to go in for discounts, such a plan is expected to increase traffic as well as the revenue for the firm.
Subscribers of the dynamic discount plan will get an hourly message on their mobile as to the discount percentage that is available.
The discount rate would differ from cell tower to tower based on the call traffic.
It is somewhat like happy shopping hours in big retail stores when products are offered at a discounted rates.
At all times when a subscriber plans to makes a call the discount percentage available at that particular point of time will be visible on the screen.
“Many of the existing players have been trying to launch a dynamic discount tariff plan but were hampered by software glitches. We have become the first player to offer such a tariff plan,” said Kercza.
He said dynamic discount tariff plans are in existence in countries like South Africa, Uganda and Congo.
He said cell broadcast technology that enables such new tariff plans will rule in the future and disagreed with the view that the new tariff plan would brand the company as a discount telecom service provider.
Kercza said in two or three weeks’ time the company would come out with another tariff plan.
In Tamil Nadu, Unitech Wireless’ has a subscriber base of around 630,000 and the average revenue per user (ARPU) ranges between Rs.250-Rs.350.
“Our blended tariff rate is around 0.45 paise per minute,” Kercza added.
On value added services, he said the company was not focussing on that space now.
“Rasigan Express” seeking votes for nominees in Madurai
Posted by ganesh in Cinema, Communication, Entertainment, Festivals, Information, Madurai, Mobiles, Other, Transport, competition, election, function, music, tamilnadu on April 30th, 2010
‘Rasigan Express,’ a bus that is touring across the State seeking votes for nominees of the fourth UniverCell Vijay Awards, reached the city on Thursday
Residents cast their votes for Favourite Hero, Heroine, Director, Film and Song in Tamil feature films released in 2009 at three locations — near Gandhi Memorial Museum, Tirupparankundram, and at Kalavasal.
The vehicle was flagged off by Information Minister Parithi Ellamvazhuthi from Chennai on April 23.
The colourfully decorated vehicle with images of popular actors would take fans down memory lane through photographs and videos of award ceremonies held in the past three years.
The bus, which arrived here from Tiruchi, was proceeding towards Tirunelveli. It would travel to 14 places in the State, including Chengalpet, Cuddalore, Vellore, Madurai and Karur, before culminating its journey in Kancheepuram on May 7.
The organisers said that nearly one lakh people voted last year. This time, people can choose their favourite film from 131 films released in 2009.
A five-member jury comprising actor Radhika Sarathkumar, director A.R. Murugadoss, writer and director Yugi Sethu, cinematographer Ravi K.Chandran and cartoonist Madan would select the best technicians and actors in 32 categories.
Switch off the instruments before entering the House: TN Speaker
Posted by ganesh in Assembly, Chennai, Departments, Health, Information, Mobiles, Other, Political, government, illegal on April 29th, 2010
Apparently annoyed by use of mobile phones inside the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Speaker R Avudiayappan today directed the members to switch off the instruments before entering the House.
“Despite a circular issued against the usage of mobile phones inside the Assembly, members have been found talking on them while inside the House. You should switch off the cellphones before entering the House,” he said.
Avudaiyappan said his order was applicable to officials also.
Jaya demands Raja’s dismissal over 2G spectrum row
Posted by ganesh in Assembly, Chennai, Communication, Departments, Health, Information, Mobiles, Other, competition on April 29th, 2010
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dismiss Union Minister for Communications A Raja from the Cabinet for, “causing wrongful loss to the government in 2G spectrum allotment.” She also called for the reinstatement of Vineet Agarwal as the head of the CBI team investigating the scam.
In a statement in Chennai, she said, “The Union government has succumbed to pressure from the DMK (and transferred Agarwal) to give the case a quiet burial. The law should be allowed to take its course.”
The AIADMK supremo said it was a “great credit to Opposition unity” that the controversy-prone Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, was made to resign soon after doubts were raised about his involvement in dealings relating to the Kochi franchise of the Indian Premier League cricket team. “Tharoor’s guilt has not been proved. Yet, in the highest traditions of Democracy, he chose to quit,” she said.
“I call upon the Opposition, which was so united in seeing the exit of Shashi Tharoor, the media, who were so vigilant in the IPL scandal, and the people of this great nation to come forward and stop this national loot before the Nation itself is sold out for a price,” Jayalalithaa said
Puducherry Administration is taking steps to procure more power
Posted by ganesh in Agriculture, Assembly, Communication, Departments, Information, Mobiles, Other, Puducherry, TNEB, budget, government, programme on April 27th, 2010
The Puducherry Administration is taking steps to procure more power to meet the energy requirement of the Union Territory, Chief Minsiter V Vaithilingam told the Legislative Assembly.
Replying to the discussion on demand for grants for various departments, including electricity and agriculture, Mr Vaithilingam said the administration would obtain an additional 15 MW of power from Neyveli, 67 MW from Koodangulam and 6 MW from Andhra Pradesh this year.
He said that cellphone sim cards would be provided to the Assistant Engineers and Junior Engineers of the Electricity Department adding that the overtime allowance with the department would be enhanced to Rs 10,000 from Rs 5000.
An e-service centre with the Electricity Department in karaikal would soon be started, he added.
Mr Vaithilingam announced the enhancement of input subsidy for sugarcane from Rs 1,000 to Rs 4,000, subsidy of Rs 1.5 lakh to SC farmers to purchase tractors, Rs two lakh subsidy to all for the purchase of harvesting machines and a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to two former legislators who died recently.
The Chief Minister, who announced that free colour televisions would be given to all ration card holders here also anounced a subsidy of Rs 10,000 to scribes for purchase of lap-top and an insurance scheme for them.
Nalini made calls to England, Sri Lanka
Posted by ganesh in Assembly, Communication, Departments, Information, Mobiles, Raid, Vellore, cheating, government, illegal on April 23rd, 2010
The Tamil Nadu Government on Friday said former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassin Nalini Sriharan made calls to foreign countries, including Britain and Sri Lanka from the cell phone recovered from her in the high security Vellore Jail.
On April 20, during a routine check, prison authorities recovered cell phone from her.
Nalini had thrown the phone into the toilet during the check, but officials recovered it.
Replying to a question in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, state Law Minister Duraimurugan said the cell was activated in March 2009 and registered in the name of one Ravi from Katpadi near Vellore.
Duraimurugan said an analysis of calls by officials of ”Q’ branch, showed that calls and messages were received and sent to different countries from this cell phone.
The ‘Q’ branch of the Tamil Nadu police deals with extremist activities.
Duraimurgan said eight calls had been made to Britain, one to Sri Lanka, five to Chennai, including to her advocate and to 22 numbers across the state.
He also informed the House that over 15 SMSes were also received and sent and added the Q branch was investigating the matter.
Duraimurgan said the call list contains 10 missed calls and eight received calls.
He informed members that a case has been registered.
Tamil Nadu Government had recently rejected her plea for premature release based on the recommendation of the prison advisory board, which Nalini has challenged in the Madras Hhigh Court.
Nalini’s phone calls being checked: Minister
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Departments, Information, Mobiles, Other, Politics, Survey, cheating, government, illegal on April 22nd, 2010
Tamil Nadu Law Minister Durai Murugan on Wednesday informed the State Assembly that call details of a mobile phone seized from the cell in which Rajiv Gandhi murder convict Nalini Sriharan was lodged was being probed.
Replying to a call attention motion by Vellore Congress MLA C Gnanasekaran, Durai Murugan said Nalini had thrown the mobile phone into the toilet on seeing the prison authorities coming for an inspection. The mobilephone and the two SIM cards had been seized, he said.
“We will come to know about whom Nalini had contacted only after thorough inquiry,” he added. Cell phone detectors which will identify possession of mobile phones and contraband inside the jail would be provided in all prisons, he further said.
Meanwhile, Nalini, according to reports, has alleged that the phone reportedly seized from her cell on Tuesday was planted by prison staff to frame her.
BSNL Chennai Telephones will transfer
Posted by ganesh in BSNL, Chennai, Communication, Departments, Information, Mobiles, Other, government, modification, release on April 21st, 2010
BSNL Chennai Telephones will transfer around 2,400 working lines from the Pazhavanthangal, Nanganallur areas, which come under St Thomas Mount Exchange.
The telephone numbers of these areas will be changed to numbers starting with ‘2224′. For clarification, contact: 2231 8025 / 2224 6454 / 94450 24664 / 94449 79476.
17-day London Shopping Festival in chennai
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Festivals, Health, Information, Mobiles, Other, Public, businesses, electronic, programme on April 17th, 2010
A 17-day London Shopping Festival will be held at St. George School Grounds, Poonamallee High Road, from April 30.
According to a press release, the entrance of the exhibition would have a huge replica of London Bridge. General public can also climb the bridge. Spread over 75,000 sq.ft, the fully air-conditioned show would feature over 10,000 products from automobiles, home electronics, consumer electronics, IT, furniture, designer sofas, kitchen interiors, bathroom interiors, handloom, handicrafts and many more.
The exhibition will be open to public from 2 pm to 9 pm from Mondays to Fridays and from 11 am to 9 pm on weekends and holidays,
Around the world in eight seconds
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Departments, Information, Mobiles, Other, electronic on April 17th, 2010
Have some info which you would like to pass on to many people at once? Then all you need is their numbers and a mobile phone and you can keep sending your messages in bulk.
An information revolution of sorts is unfolding right in our midst as bulk texting makes dissemination of news faster and easier than ever before.
Throw your mind back to a few years ago when Obama’s crisp SMSes gave him a winning edge over McCain’s cumbersome telephone canvassing or to the recent times when an SMS campaign lead to the reopening of Jessica Lal murder case and hey presto you realise how effective and quick this mode of communication really is.
With cell phones increasingly becoming an extension of one’s fingers, new uses for texting are being discovered day after day.
Government departments including the Police, CBI and Vigilance and the Education Department and of course the commercial institutions are making the most of this viral mode of communication. Cashing in on the latest trend BSNL and private telecom players offer bulk messaging services at competitive rates.
BSNL Customs Relations Manager Ananda Kumar says ‘We charge 15 paise per message for SMSes within the one lakh slab and 10 paise when the number of SMSes to be sent exceeds one lakh.
Just text your message of not more than 160 characters and send it to the BSNL number and also email the message to BSNL. The messages which reach us in this manner can be dispersed as bulk messages to ten lakh people within three hours.
‘Recently we have introduced areawise slabs to suit businesses like textile and jewellery showrooms.They can avail the SMS facility to inform people about a discount sale or festive offers at their showrooms. They target local customers only since most people prefer shopping closer to their homes.
The number of SMSes to be sent in these instances is often lesser than a lakh. Bulk messages are becoming more of an advertisement tool. We accept payments for this service through Demand Drafts.’
The purpose of texting being generation of large scale awareness, it has come in handy for several social causes too. Last year the Corruption and the Vigilance Wing of the CBI launched a massive SMS campaign exhorting people to clue them about corrupt government officials.
According to a media release nearly 50 complaints were received in response to the first batch of SMSes sent to five million mobile users in the state. The Department went ahead to arrest 15 corrupt officers in high positions following tip- offs from the public. This year too the Vigilance wing has launched a similar SMS crusade.
Not wanting to be left behind, the police too have been receiving complaints via SMSes.‘Suburban Police Commissionerate, Tambaram maintains a database of all the SMS complaints it receives,’ informs Peter who is incharge of the Control Room there.
‘As soon as the SMSes are received, the matter is taken up with the inspectors concerned and action is taken much faster than earlier,’ he adds.
Schools too have jumped on to the SMS bandwagon now. Says Anitha, a resident of Velacheri, ‘my son is a student of Akshayah Matriculation School.
He is in the tenth standard and the School keeps us informed of all the tests and his scores through SMSes. We are also informed about the dates of class tests and exams.
The various academic and co-curricular activities happening in the lower classes are also informed to the parents concerned. This way the School ensures that the parents are are kept updated about its activities.’
Mayor M Subramanian who had launched an SMS drive to curb absenteeism in schools says,’this SMS idea is working very well and prevents students from playing truants. The programme was introduced at the Corporation Girls Hr Sec School in Nungambakkam last year and later extended to all Corporation schools in Chennai.
By this system, SMSes are sent to parents of students studying in 9, 10, 11 and 12 standards whenever their wards remain absent from school. Since a sort of cross-checking happens, the students are discouraged from cheating their parents and the school.’
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