Airtel - India

[manav]

In general this network is good because its the only Dual- Band operator here in India. But I have faced a problem of too large bills over the past so have switched to hutch. Any more info on this?

[Toocool]

To start off, let me tell you that Airtel is not the only Dual Band Service Provider in India. HUTCH in Karnataka is Dual Band.

And moreover Airtel in Karnataka is not Dual Band.

I hate Airtel!!! Here in Karnataka, the service providers are:-
(CDMA Service included)

1) Airtel (Launched 7 years back i guess as JTM, then Airtel too over the company) has got around 9,00,000 Customers
2) Hutch (Launched 2 years back only) has 5,00,000 customers
3) B.S.N.L (Launched 2 years back) has about 3,00,000 customers includes CDMA Customers also.
4) Reliance (Launched 1 year back) has about 1,50,000 customers this is only CDMA Customers only (including fixed line customers of Reliance)
5) TATA Indicom (Launched 2 years back with Hutch) 75,000 customers (including fixed line customers of TATA)
6) Spice (Last but not the least the dreadful Spice, First to launch mobile service in Karnataka (even before JTM) is still stuggling with a customer base of only 2,50,000. They are under a huge loss. And there are rumors that Huch is going to take over Spice Telecom shortly.

Conclusion :-

Maximum customers :- Without doubt, Airtel.
Best Network :- Airtel, 149 cities. (Hutch 110 cities fast catching up)
Advanced Technology :- Hutch, by a long long way.
Clarity :- Hutch, very clear
Best Message delivery :- Hutch
Most Preferred :- Hutch
Most Talked :- Hutch
Cheapest :- Spice (overall includes SMS and Calls)
Cheapest call rates :- TATA (very very cheap)
Worst network :- The award goes to BSNL
Worst Clarity :- Award again goes to BSNL
Worst Connectivity :- Should i repeat myself???

Overall i would rate Hutch as the best compared to all the other service providers in Karnataka!!! BSNL the worst!!! Airtel as OK!!! Spice as good (Becoz of the call rates and sms charges and monthly rental)!!! Reliance as Average!!! Tata as below average (Gosh they dont have proper roaming, average becoz of the low call rates or it would have been a big NO, NO)

Hutch Wins
:)

[sid2]

One company I won't be using next time I'm in India is Idea. Their reception was crap throughout Delhi.

[manav]

Wow that was a nice review thanks, Will get mine out soon. Yaawn its late!

[Toocool]

Thank you so much Manav!! I really worked hard on that review! it was nice of sid to reply! I really hate Airtel also idea i used it in goa!

[Toocool]

i am waiting to read your review manav!! and yeah its damn late its 2 in the night! and i am hungry he he! post your review as soon as possible! add idea to your list if possible!!!!

[manav]

Airtel [SIZE=4]

Well this network provider has been my primary for the last few months but now I have changed over to Hutch I will try to keep it short and brief and mainly point out its pros and cons. Because the quality of service is mainly area specific.

Signal : 5/10
Voice Clarity : 9/10
GPRS : 2/10
Offers : 9/10
Plans : 6/10
Ethics : 8/10 (I mean the errors in the bill)

Overall : Not reccomended unless you live in surat, this operator has terrible customer care and also suffers from frequent gprs problems. The better part is you get lots of cool and new offers!

[Toocool]

Oh really? cool and nice offers??? i dont think so! here in karnataka hutch comes out with good offers!

[manav]

They once came out with a offer in navratri with free night speak and 10 rs balance and Prepaid sim for 100Rs. And we all took the sims and used them whole night during navratri and then threw them away, we used to stay awake till 5 and party for all the 9 nights!

[nokfan]

and as far as i remember Airtel has teamed wid nokia to deliver EDGE, not hutch.



i saw it on the news a few months back when 6230 was jst launched in asia, and it was airtels chiefie showing a streaming video on the phone,




PS: it mit be what airtel is advertising "AIRTEL LIVE"


:D :D

good times coming soon

[Toocool]

no nokia have teamed with hutch!!

visit nokia.com press on about nokia then go to press

or i think press.nokia.com might work!

view press releases of the past few days!! the news is available there!!

[manav]

By what I have heard NOKIA have teamed up with IDEA in Delhi to launch EDGE.

[Toocool]

what the hell one says airtel another says idea.. its hutch

i will give you the link in 10 mins i am seaching for it!! then tell me which oone it is ok?

[Toocool]

so here you go manav this is the link check it out and tell me

http://press.nokia.com/PR/200406/949349_5.html

[nokfan]

no nokia have teamed with hutch!!


check this
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200405/947136_5.html
and
http://www.hindu.com/2003/11/21/stories/2003112102051400.htm


these say airtel will do it,

and one nokia link says hutch will also do it

:D


i say the more the merrier

[Toocool]

i am confused!!! :confused:

[prateek]

hey
i have been using airtel for 4 yrs now and am totally satisfied wid it here in delhi.
its customer service is 1000 times better then hutch and idea is nowhere in competition.
my mom is using a hutch phone(got the connection recently) and it is pathetic. i mean the service ppl dont pick the phone even after cont ringin.
AIRTEL is good.
(though one prob remains that its gprs service and mms are very expensive comparitively)

[Toocool]

i guess its dual band network in delhi and airtel has got a much higher no of customers compared to that of karnataka as a whole (i wonder) but hutch here in karnataka is superb! The Best! Service also is really good!

[manav]

Well, even if they have teamed up. I dont see EDGE happening here!

[Toocool]

It will happen!! by the end of next year airtel, hutch and idea will surely be having EDGE.. but will have to wait till the end of next year! then we will have to wait another 2 years for that E-GPRS or something! remember that conversation we had about EDGE and E-GPRS manav?? gosh!, still cant understand one thing what is the use of having a feature when network doesnt support it in the World Wide World.. If nokia is teaming with many networks to Provide egde service then why E-GPRS??? SO many question, wonder whether even Nokia can answer them??:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :mad:

[manav]

It was written the network is EDGE capable, it does not expressly support it!

[Toocool]

what do you mean it does not expressly support it?

[manav]

I mean that they said that the network is upgradeble to EDGE it does not support it!

[Toocool]

ok!! :)

[manav]

So guess we should'nt expect EDGE any time soon.

[Toocool]

EDGE is out already here!!!

[anjanesh]

I know this thread is almost 2 yrs old but searching google brought me here.
Is AirTel now better than Hutch in Bangalore in terms of GPRS / EDGE connectivity ?

[jayesh]

edge on hutch is better in bangalore.. this i can testify from personal use in bangalore while on a business and roaming on both networks with an edge device ( a la 9300i )

[anjanesh]

If I were to use a Nokia 6021 or some other lower-model Nokia phones that supports GPRS / EDGE in bangalore, and not use it for roaming since travelling will only be within bangalore city, then is Hutch the best option in terms of cost and speed ? My friend tells me that that AirTel is the only one having its own submarine cables and other networks in India like BSNL, Hutch are actually dependant on AirTel's cables ?

Where can I get the cost + network details for both Hutch an AirTel ?

[jayesh]

what does airtel having submarine cables have to do with anything? and the questions u asked are very easy answerable by this little tool called google.

Check their respective sites www.hutch.in and www.airtelworld.com

network details are std gsm 900 networks ? what more do u need if u need some other specs check them out at the gsm main site gsmworld.com

[anjanesh]

what does airtel having submarine cables have to do with anything? Are there other providers in India having their own cables ? I was under the assumption that there was only one and other providers hire airTel ones.

[carcomptoy]

What exactly are submarine cables?

[ajay383]

Is anyone of these provide unlimited GPRS ?
if yes who and how much they charge in delhi ?
I am looking for to use skype in near future when they will launch
mobile version.

Thanks

[jayesh]

am locking this thread as its drifted way off topic.

[jayesh]

locked