AirtelExpress vans out to woo rural folks

HYDERABAD: Airtel has flagged off seven AirtelExpress vans to cover 350 towns in Andhra Pradesh in the next 90 days. Going further, the company intends to cover the additional 200 towns to make its presence stronger in 550 towns in the state.

AirtelExpress vans are fully equipped to offer information about services pertaining to Airtel connections for rural people. To attract masses, the company is offering a Motorola C115 handset along with an Airtel connection for Rs 2100 besides offering a Nokia 1100 bundled with an Airtel connection at Rs 2949. And, for the first time a recharge coupon of Rs 200 is also available for pre-paid subscribers.

Launching AirtelExpress-a movement to enable people to go mobile at their doorstep- Government of Andhra Pradesh information & public relations minister Shabbir Ali said, “Service providers like Airtel, should not only ensure connectivity at affordable prices but should start providing information like international price updates of agricultural products, weather information etc. Besides, people in rural areas have a perception that service wouldn't be available after a particular location. In order to change that perception, service providers should ensure good network expansion to retain quality of service.”

In what was started as a pilot project to cover towns through Airtel vans, the company now has made this a full-fledged strategy to create awareness about the various plans they offer.