Bharti cuts national roaming charges

NEW DELHI: India's largest GSM mobile phone service operator, Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd, has announced that it has cut national roaming call rates between 53 to 73 per cent following similar cuts by competitors.

New Delhi-based Bharti said in a statement incoming roaming calls will now cost 1.99 rupees a minute from January 1 2004, a 69 percent drop from 6.44 rupees earlier. There will be no air time costs on these calls. Outgoing calls will cost 1.99 rupees a minute plus airtime charges, compared with 4.25 rupees to 7.44 rupees a minute.

Post-paid customers will also not have to pay a roaming rental of 99 rupees a month but instead pay a rent of five rupees a day with a ceiling of 25 rupees a month. Bharti's competitors, Hutch and Reliance, have already cut roaming costs on their calls.

© Reuters