Madurai Telecom launches "Internet For All"

BANGALORE: The Department of Telecommunications' Madurai Telecom has launched an "Internet for All'' (IFA) service to local subscribers, which is said to be completely hassle-free and instant.

According to Madurai Telecom General Manager S. Hariharan, all that a surfer needs to have is a telephone connection, a computer and a modem to get on the Net instantly and there is no need for registration or for a one-time fee or anything. IFA is just like the STD or ISD service provided by DoT, where you can get access to the Internet without an account with the DoT Internet node and the process involves only applying to the local DoT commercial officer to get the service.

In the case of Madurai, after the facility is extended to the subscriber, he just has to dial 172 223, to get instant access. "There is no need for a user ID or a password, no separate account, registration, initial lump sum payment, renewal hassles, etc,'' said Mr. Hariharan. The subscriber has to pay for the service along with his regular telephone bill based on usage and has to deal with DoT only.

The customer's telephone for Internet usage will be metered at one unit for every 90 seconds, and depending upon the usage, the rate could range from 80 paise to Rs 1.20 per minute, which works out to about Rs 45 per hour. This compared well with Rs 39 per hour under Plan 500 and Rs 54 under Plan 50, Mr. Hariharan added. Madurai will be the first place to implement this concept, and DoT is likely to take it to other cities and towns as well, depending on the success of this scheme, according to Mr Hariharan.