Nov 27, 2010
MOBILE USERS READY TO MAKE A SWITCH
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ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER
Connected’ youngsters, for whom their number is their identity, are looking forward to January 25 when they get to pick and choose a provider. Service providers meanwhile are gearing up for MNP, introducing new technology to seduce loyalists to switch and offering cheaper tariffs, customised schemes, better service, the works.
Enock Roy, a professional has been satisfied with his Vodafone connection for the last three years but, “If any other connection offers me better connectivity, I would happily switch. I travel a lot and it is important to stay connected to colleagues and clients while I am away,” he says. Ankita Rajurkar of Nasr School says, “I only message my friends and won’t call unless it’s very urgent. Airtel provides a cheap scheme for texting. But, if Vodafone had a cheaper SMS tariff scheme, then I would surely shift.”
There are of course some very satisfied customers who say they will stay put. Akshaya says, “I have been using Vodafone for a while and don’t think I will change. So far, Vodafone has the best connectivity. Other users might offer cheaper schemes but when it comes to connectivity, most of them don’t have signal.” But even loyalists like Akshaya confess that MNP will allow them to switch networks as many times as they please, depending on the schemes that suit them best.
If the service providers are nervous, they’re not showing it. Deepak Gulati, executive president, mobility business, Tata Tele Services Ltd. (TTSL), says, “We have been in favour of the introduction of Mobile Number Portability for years and welcome its implementation by the authorities. TTSL has always believed that the power of choice should be given to the customer and that subscribers should be allowed to own their number and choose their service provider on the basis of network and service quality. We believe that by offering world-best products and services to customers, and being transparent and honest in all our dealings with them, we will continue to do well.” Some even believe MNP will work in their favour. “Airtel product offerings have been reinforced with the launch of our new brand identity. With MNP, customers now have the freedom to bring their number to Airtel,” says a spokesperson from Airtel.
With one eye on the learnings from the international market, some providers are sprucing up their tech as well as their talk to maximise the potential of their brand. Samaresh Parida, Director, Strategy, Vodafone Essar, says, “Number portability is good for the customer. Customer choices will be driven by a number of factors like network quality, innovative products and services, customer service and brand. We have invested in our network quality and customer care in a big way and are also readying technology to enable portability.”
Idea Cellular is on the same page as Vodafone. Rajat Mukarji, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, IDEA Cellular says, “Idea is ready to enable MNP on its network. We’ve made substantial investment in network, technology, processes etc. to allow subscribers to switch to Idea.”
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