Go get the 9869.... Number!!!
MTNL Trump has always been the most criticized yet the most sought after cellular service. Despite of all the hype about its poor service and inferior signal strength (as compared to the private operators); you will still find a long queue at the MTNL exchanges for the trump sim cards. What makes Trump so popular? The reason is simple. It is truly an affordable cellular service. Trump (prepaid version of Dolphin) is surely evolving and there is absolutely no doubt about it.
Pray to get a sim card
Unlike orange, bpl or airtel getting a sim card of Trump surely requires patience and good luck.MTNL has shortage of Trump Sims. So you should consider yourself lucky if you have got one. This is the main reason I find it difficult to dispose this service since it so hardly earned.
Who should go for Trump?
Trump is surely not for those for whom every call can cost dollars! If you are a professional who thrives on your contacts, Trump is surely not your bet. On the other hand, if you are a college freak who relies more on sms rather than calls or if you are hunting for affordable cellular service and can compromise on the network, Trump is just made for you.
Why should you go for Trump?
1.The Best Talk time
For a Rs 330 voucher you get a talk time worth Rs 200 while orange, bpl and airtel provide you Rs 125 only. In addition, Trump is the only service which provides a refill of Rs 110 (talk time of Rs 50) which is valid for 10 days. Though orange provides refills of smaller denominations their validity is 0 days. Thus they expect you to pay Rs 400 or higher to go mobile?
2. Calls@ Rs 1.50 only
Calls to any cellular or landline phone are charged @ Rs 1.50 only. Now what could be better than this? Also if have some dolphin buddies, stay in touch with them @90 paisa only.Wow!!!!
3. Send three sms instead of one
Gone are those days where I had to scratch my head to decide whether I have to forward a sms or not. With sms @ 50 paisa, you can be generous on your sms, yaar.This is surely the highlight of this service. Though you have problems in making calls, the sms service of trump rocks.All sms local of national cost you half a rupee only.
4. Good Network and signal strength
I have seen many people grumbling about the signal strength of trump. Trump surely does not have the best network but definitely it is not the worst. Also MTNL has made significant efforts to improve on this. With launch of new towers, MTNL is surely making the private guns a run for their money.
5. Good Customer service
This is surely one area where every operator should improve upon.Private cellular operators will make you make you wait for 10 to 15 mins to answer your problems. To speak the truth the same is the case with Trump especially during peak hours. But the customer service is definitely on par with the private operators.
Wow that’s what you call roaming!!!
MTNL has a roaming agreement with BSNL which has the widest and the best network across the country.
Let’s now move to the negative side of Trump....
Voice Cracks?
Truly speaking, MTNL has been constantly blamed for poor signal strength. But the fact is that the problem is not with signal strength, it’s with voice clarity. The voice cracks even if cell screen displays full signal strength. So if you are listening to your balance info you will hear a sweet voice saying The balance on your card is Rs Two hundred**********and thirty******* rup**** and is valid up** 20th De*****..Try for 4 to 5 times and you will discover you balance( at last!!!).The same is for other calls especially during 7 pm to 10 pm.
Lack of VAS (Value Added Services)
No yahoo messenger, outlook, flash and blink messages. No funky ringtones or naughty logos. If you are interested in these then orange or airtel is your piece of meat. However don’t be disappointed. There is the 8888 (Indiatimes service) through which you can enjoy a host of services. Sorry no 7333(rediff) or 8243(yahoo).Also the 8888 services are charged for Re 1/- while others charge Rs 2/- for the same. As mentioned before, MTNL is a basic mobile service. Also what’s the point accessing yahoo mail on your phone which easily drains out Rs 10 to 12 rupees from your already low balance?
Believe me these services are meant only for milking the customers. How? Rs 2 for login. Rs 2 for checking inbox, Rs 2 for sending mail Rs 2 for.....and you land up losing a considerable talk time.
Lack of GPRS or MMS
Postpaid customers rejoice!!! Dolphin has launched its GPRS service for its privileged postpaid customers. For prepaid customers, wait until MTNL decides to shower its blessings on you. (Sigh!).
Lack of Advertisements
This is one area where MTNL has to gear up. Unlike BSNL, MTNL is never bothered to display its new advertisements on television channels. You have to search through local newspapers to see if MTNL has made any new announcements.MTNL switches its free sms offers quite frequently so try to be updated either by scanning newspapers or calling up Customer Care.
No onscreen balance display and cell info
There is no onscreen balance display in this service. So keep on dialing 444 to check if you are out of balance. (Once again a deep sigh!!!).Also like orange or airtel it does not display the place you are currently in on your screen. However this may not be an issue for most of you.
So to conclude, if you are wanna go mobile without digging too much on your pocket and are ready to compromise on network, Trump is surely one of the option you should consider. Believe me, getting a Trump sim card is as priced as getting a gmail invitation and is half the battle won.
I would also thank all those who appreciated my previous reviews on MS including matwalaboy, sunshinegal2003, loverboy_4u, snaz, somita, sahilgoyal, n.aditya, sainath, ray1952, jai_coer , cousin2 and many more. Your comments and feedback inspire MS newbie like me to improve on each review.
Your suggestions and comments are warmly welcomed.
God bless all of you with perfect health and strength and prosperity.
Yours,
Praisedlord.