Aircel Offers free iPhone 4 with 2 year plans!

Ok, iPhone 4 is not exactly free, but close to it… Lets find out how!

iPhone 4 is coming to India when consumers worldwide are getting ready for iPhone 5. Although, for iPad 2, India has been given better treatment, when it comes to iPhones, India still looks like a dumping ground.

When iPhone 3G came to India last year, Apple had tied up with Vodafone and Airtel, but this time Aircel seems to have been the preferred telecom operator along with Airtel, who will be launching iPhone 4 in India.

Also, unlike last year, both Airtel and Aircel are giving lot of freebies on iPhone 4 purchase to attract customers – I am sure they don’t want to repeat the same thing that happened last year– Earlier iPhone launch was a super flop in India.

While, Airtel is offering 50% discount on iPhone 4, if user’s bill is above Rs. 2000 monthly – Aircel has gone ahead and is offering even better plan. It plans to offer discount equivalent to price of iPhone over a 24 month period !

How much does iPhone 4 cost ?

While Airtel is offering iPhone 4 for Rs. 35k (for 16gb) and 41k (for 32gb), Aircel has announced slightly lower prices – Rs. 34.5k (for 16gb) and 40.9k (for 32gb).

Aircel offerings on iPhone 4 purchase

If you are a pre-paid customer – sorry, you have no discounts, just take the iPhone at face value and forget about it, but if you are a post paid customer, and are a heavy mobile user (i.e: if you mobile bill is in the range of 2-3k), you stand to save a lot of money on iPhone 4. Here are the details:

Aircel Plans for iPhone 4

So, if you opt for premium plans, you end up saving 100% of your iPhone 4 costs. At the end of 2 years a consumer will essentially pay about Rs. 51,336 for 16GB iPhone 4 + voice calls + data and similarly and Rs. 60,240 for 32 GB iPhone 4 ++. 

We will have to obviously wait and see how many consumers will lap this up, but according to me the prices are just too high even with all the discounts and freebies offered ! This will be another flop is what I can say 

Aircel to launch iPhone 4 in India - http://www.indiaeveryday.in/

At least mobile operator —  Aircel — on Monday announced plans to launch     

Apple's iPhone 4 in the country in the coming months, without giving any details on either its pricing or their tariff plans for the smartphone.In their statements, Aircel said iPhone 4 was the most innovative phone in the world, featuring Apple's stunning retina display and FaceTime, which makes video calling a reality.U.S.-based Apple will introduce the iPhone 4, which is equipped with a sharper screen and video-chat features as it attempts to ward-off competition from devices running Google's Android software. The iPhone 4 will have a 3.5 inch display with 640 X 960 pixel resolution, and a 5-megapixel camera with built-in LED flash.

http://www.indiaeveryday.in/

MapMyIndia Powers Aircel’s Pocket Finder - Location Based VAS

Indian GIS company MapMyIndia has launched a maps and location service with telecom operator Aircel, called PocketFinder. It’s a white labeled service for Aircel which allows users access to maps, points-of-interest like ATM’s, Cafe’s and restaurants, and more interestingly, “friend-finder” services and location specific deals. The subscription based service, priced at Rs. 10 per month (with data charges extra) is available as an application, on USSD, WAP and SMS, and it requires GPRS and/or 3G to work. Alternatively, of course, there’s Google Maps, which is free (albeit, also with data charges).
Friend Finder

The service has a Friend Finder application (SMS in the format <10 digit mobile number of friend> to 54654), similar to the Buddy Finder service which Airtel piloted over a year ago, which allows users to permit specific Aircel users to find them. In the application, one can get directions to the friend, but not on WAP. If the phone is switched off or not in network coverage, then the last known location is displayed. Chhavi Gupta, AVP at MapMyIndia, told MediaNama that it’s a little clumsy to draw on WAP. Gupta declined to comment on how much MapMyIndia has invested in this initiative, but said that they’re getting a revenue share on the subscription fees.
It’s worth noting that the service works only with Aircel users, and is not carrier-independent, which limits the functionality of the Friend Finder service. Gupta doesn’t expect a carrier-independent service to be possible in the short run. “We aspire to do that, but the LBS ecosystem is complex. It won’t happen like the “press star to copy” service with ringtones.” MapMyIndia currently provides maps data to MTNL, Aircel, Virgin, Tata Indicom, MTS, either directly or through other application providers.
Deals/Offers
Gupta says that Aircel and MapMyIndia have just started working with a few partners to offer deals on PocketFinder, where they will surface sales in nearby locations initially. “The offers is not the main functionality of the service right now, but we’ll build it up with partners, from both us and Aircel”. Gupta feels that surfacing sales is hard to monetize, but it will help build stickiness; the monetization will come from couponing. Note that Bangalore based Taazza surfaces location specific deals and news, using Google Maps.
PocketFinder can extend the deals functionality to a pull based couponing service, which provides location sensitive and category specific deals to users. They can surface deals both within the application, as well as on WAP, say as a footer to Restaurant Search. A question remains – why hasn’t Google Maps launched deals yet?
Comparison with Google Maps
- Accuracy: Gupta says that the service is GPS independent, and uses cell ID data for identifying a users location. Aircel’s website suggests that the accuracy is between 400 to 500 meters, but Gupta says that with repeaters, it can be up to 150 meters, and in some areas it can go up to 1 KM. That kind of a variance has also been seen in Google Maps, though it has improved.
MediaNama readers might recall that the Indian government has asked telecom service providers to improve accuracy. Gupta says that it’s not feasible to provide location information for 50 metres in one shot, but “it will require iterations from telecom service providers, from service providers like us, and from the government. Whatever is the network based location, it will improve the location awareness for all of these applications.
- Access: Gupta says that given that the application uses cell ID, it is applicable to phones that cost less than Rs. 7000, the cheapest phone with GPS, a limitation which Google Maps face. Additionally, location based services in Aircel Pocket Finder are available on WAP, USSD and SMS as well
- Always on: Unlike Google Maps, the friend locator works even if a user doesn’t have the application on, because it is Cell ID based triangulation, and doesn’t depend on GPS. This has both pluses and minuses: for locating her child, a mother might want it to be always-on, but there are instances when you don’t want to give access.

Aircel Introduces 3G Pocket Finder-Location Based VAS

Always wondering where your nearest and dearest is? Eager to locate a friend (in a way that doesn’t violate their privacy)? Yes! AIRCEL’s exciting new Value Added Service Dubbed as 3G Pocket Finder, your ‘liked’ or loved one is always just few clicks away!

The service is just similar to another MTNL’s Friend Finder Service, However Aircel added some more features and social networking (FaceBook / Twitter) integration.

The AIRCEL Pocket Finder service is only for 3G circles only or where Aircel launched its 3G service and cost Rs. 10 per month + SMS and 3G Data charges.

Aircel Pocket Finder can serve following way:

Find Me: It will let you know your current position & you can share your position with Facebook/Twitter.

Local Serach: This helps you to search for information on petrol pumps, ATMs, hospitals, restaurants etc. You can get driving directions to them, look for their location on the map, or simply get their contact information.

Friend Finder: The most useful tool in this service. Using this application you can get the current positions of your friends. You can directly call/SMS them according to your requirement.According to Aircel the location is accurate to between about 400 to 500 meters.

To subscribe this service one have to send a SMS by typing “FM” to 54654. After subscribing there is 4 ways to use this service:

(i)Via WAP: Goto 3g.pocketinternet.in and choose “Services” and after that “Pocket Finder”.

(ii). Via USSD: Simply dial the *567# and get the pocket finder menu. On the menu you can then opt for the service as per the format stated in the return string. All services are available on the return string.

(iii)Via SMS:

1.To find a friend, SMS in the format ‘FF 10 digit mobile number of friend’ to 54654.

2.The recipient mobile number will get a SMS from 54654 with the text “Your friend your 10 digit mobile number wants to add you as a friend. SMS “Yes” to accept and “No” to reject.”

3.If your friend accepts, you can then track their location.

4.For local search SMS in the format ‘FIND’ Name to 54654 where ‘Name’ is what you are looking for e.g. Bank, ATM etc.

Via Mobile Application: Simply SMS “Finder” to 54654 or 5800000 and you will receive an SMS with a link to download the application. On clicking the link the application downloads to the phone and you can access all of the services.

CHARGES: Rs. 10/Month and usage (SMS/DATA charges extra as applicable )

For unsubscribe SMS “Unsub” to 54654. For more details contact Aircel Customer Care: @121(toll-free)

Spectranet partners Aircel To provide high-speed Internet access to Aircel customers

Spectranet on Monday said it has partnered Aircel to offer high-speed Internet access to the latter's customers on Wi-Fi. The company also announced plans to invest Rs.500 crore over the next five years to expand its services across 50,000 hot-spots and reach over 50-lakh households across the country.

Spectranet, as preferred partner of Aircel, will deploy and manage core as well as access service infrastructure for Wi-Fi services enabling seamless authentication solution for both post-paid and pre-paid subscribers. This service will enable seamless Internet access for Aircel subscribers across Aircel GSM/3G network and Spectranet Wi-Fi network.

According to Spectranet Managing Director Udit Mehrotra, “We have deployed Wi-Fi network at over 1,000 hot-spots across six major cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad — and plan to add three more cities by this year-end. In the next five years, we will reach 40 cities…we are building India's largest Wi-Fi network across commercial and residential areas and see tremendous growth opportunity in this segment.”

Pointing out that it was the first-ever deployment of 2G and 3G mobile data offload to Wi-Fi within India, Mr. Mehrotra said: “Our Wi-Fi service can be accessed by Aircel subscribers on all kinds of Wi-Fi enabled devices, including mobile phones, laptops and tablets.

Our mobile data offload platform enables seamless traffic handover between GSM and Wi-Fi networks.

Mr. Mehrotra further said that Spectranet was building its own optical fibre network. “We have so far laid over 2,000 route km of optic cable and plan to expand it to 6,000 km. We are building our own fibre infrastructure because we believe the data requirement is only going to go up from this point. In India, not only are we looking at a rapid increase in penetration but we are also looking at a rapid increase in the usage per person or usage per household,” he added.

Aircel (Kolkata) 3G Service – Review and Speed Test

AIRCEL launched its 3G services on 24th Feb in Kolkata circle as we shared on Aircel3g Blog. The operator offers free trial of its 3G services – 250 MB data on 3G network and 50 minutes of video call. This free offerings will be valid till 1st March, 2011.

We officially tested the Aircel 3G / HSPA+ network and data speed in Kolkata telecom circle. Note that Aircel has licenses for offering 3G services in both Kolkata & West Bengal circle, till now Aircel officially rolled out 3G services in Kolkata metro area.

Aircel 3G Plans

Aircel 3G – Following are the observations :

It is interesting Aircel does not allow any users to use its 3G network by setting network mode as 3G/UMTS rather users have to activate Aircel 3G first on their mobile no. Activation of Aircel 3G is done when you opt for Aircel 3G Trial Offers. To use Aircel 2G Pocket  Internet you have to send STOP 3G to 121 to deactivate 3G, otherwise data charged will be deducted from your main balance. You can check your GPRS & video call balance anytime dialing *126*1# (for main balance dial *125#)

Though some subscribers reported activation of Aircel 3G takes too much time, I found it was a matter of 2 minutes. I suggest to activate Aircel 3G you should send the sms START 3G to 121 from a 3G mobile phone. Then use it on data card.

Our first hands on with Aircel 3G is done with Samsung Galaxy 3 which is a HSDPA 3.6Mbps supported android phone. I tested with Speedtest.net Android App:

When We tried Aircel 3G on my PC with ZTE MF190 data card (HSPA 7.2Mbps) network detected HSPA i.e. Aircel installed HSPA of 7.2Mbps BTS in my area. Signal strength is quite good – 5 bars of signal (RSSI of -83dBm). All speedtest is done in indoor environment, outdoor network is expected to be better.

Aircel is not providing blanket coverage, as I found some areas of my home place Barrackpore is not covered with Aircel 3G. May be because in sub-urban areas Aircel installed 1-2 3G nodes. In selected locations Aircel installs 21Mbps HSPA+ BTS but speed will be restricted at maximum 7.2Mbps as Aircel has no 3G data plans offering more than 7.2Mbps bandwidth right now.

Speedtest Results :

With Mumbai server :

With New York server :

Downloading a file via Internet Download Manager:

Aircel launches 3G services in Kerala

KOCHI: Aircel launched its 3G service in the Kerala market today, with hopes that 10 per cent of its customer base in the state will switch over to the new system.

"We are targeting 10 per cent of customer base all-India and Kerala to shift to 3G," Aircel National Head-Operations and Customer Support Vipul Saurabh told reporters here.
The 3G service will be available in 10 towns in the state from today. The aim was to convert existing customers to 3G, besides bringing in new subscribers, including students and youth, he said.

Aircel has over 5.5 crore customers across India, including 20 lakh subscribers in Kerala, he said.