Introduction

FREE SMS messaging service for India only that may prove to be incredibly useful for citizen groups and NGOs. The service allows anyone to set up a group of mobile subscribers to message to, or for a group to message each other many-to-many. A user can receive news alerts and blog updates via SMS, for example; or a group can group-text message to each other.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Airtel launches 'Call-me-back' service for prepaid subscribers

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Airtel, in partnership mCarbon (a Value Added Service provider), has unveiled 'Call-me-back' service for prepaid subscribers. With the help of this service, a user can request their family and friends to call them back if they have a balance of less than Re 1.
  
To use this service the user needs to send a toll-free SMS with the word CALL <space> <Airtel mobile number you want to speak to.> to 121. Thereafter the person you want to speak to will get an SMS from the number the user saying: "Please call me back. Thank You." There is no charge to user for this service, and the call-back by the friend or family member will be charged as per his current calling plan rate. The customer who is calling back can be an Airtel prepaid or postpaid user anywhere in the country (including on roaming).

This service can be availed when the balance in customer's prepaid account is below Re 1, and can be used up to 3 times in a day.

Rajesh Razdan, Co-founder and Director, mCarbon Tech Innovation, stated "The customer's experience of an operator has many facets and involves many touch-points. We are pleased to launch 'Call-me-back', one such service that drives our philosophy of Customer Experience Management. We are positive on our ability to continuously add new and exciting applications under our wing."
  
Earlier this week, Airtel unveiled a new prepaid hotspot service called 'WiFi Hangout'. The service that is currently available in select cities namely Mumbai, Bangalore and the NCR allows prepaid users to enjoy a broadband Internet experience anywhere on their Wi-Fi enabled devices such as Laptop, tablet or mobile. The Airtel WiFi Hangout plans begin at Rs.20 for 30 min, Rs.30 for 60 min and Rs.50 for 120 min of unlimited usage.
  
Apart from this Airtel had also come up with an Airtel Data Share Plan. Under this plan the subscriber will have to shell out Rs. 1000 per month and can use 3G data on up to three smart devices. There is a cumulative cap of 5GB, on exhaustion of which the Airtel user can continue to use unlimited data but at the speed of 80KB per second. 

Monday, December 10, 2012

MF transactions through SMS

Paper Work

 

Investors can conduct their mutual fund transactions through SMS. To avail of this facility, you need to register with the AMC, which will specify the types of transactions allowed through this mode as well as the maximum transaction value. The investor needs to fill up a form prescribed by the AMC and mention the unit holder details, KYC verification status, mobile number through which the facility will be used, etc. In case of joint holding, the application will have to be made jointly. 
Debit mandate 
In addition to the SMS facility registration form, the unit holder needs to provide a debit mandate to his bank to carry out transactions through theSMS facility. A debit mandate registration form for SMS facility needs to be filled up by all unit holders. 
Processing 
It usually takes 21-30 days from the date of receipt of documents for the AMC to get the debit mandate verified by the bank and process the application. The AMC then allots a PIN for SMS transactions. 
Transactions 
On receipt of the PIN, the investor can carry out transactions in his folio by sending an SMS to the prescribed number in the format prescribed by the AMC. The company sends a transaction confirmation message to the investor, which needs to be acknowledged. 
Points to note 

• The first purchase needs to be carried out through a physical form, while the subsequent transactions can be carried out via the SMS facility. 

• The investor needs to keep the AMC informed, in the prescribed format, about any change in details in order to keep the SMS facility active. 

• The transactions using the SMS facility have the same broker code that was registered during the previous transaction.

Monday, December 3, 2012

UNHAPPY TIDINGS? SC quashes tribunal order, 200 SMSes per day cap back


New Delhi: The cap of 200 text messages per day per person came back into force on Monday with the Supreme Court staying the telecom appellate tribunal's decision quashing the limit imposed by the telecom regulatory body.
    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had challenged the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal's (TDSAT) decision before the apex court on the ground that the limit was enforced to strike a balance between the sender's right to freedom of speech and expression and the receiver's right to privacy. 

    A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and Gyan Sudha Misra stayed the TDSAT order after hearing brief arguments from senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal. It also issued a notice to Aditya Thackeray — on whose petition the TDSAT had quashed the limit as violative of right to freedom of speech and expression. The bench asked Aditya, son of Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, to file a response in six weeks. 
    Trai had first restricted text messages to 100 per day per mobile phone subscriber as part of its tough Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations. However, the limit was later raised to 200 messages per day per person. 
    The telecom regulator said the national average of text messages was just two per person per day.



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