I have a Reliance CDMA;But got bored with the poor choice of handsets;Even though their service and voice clarity has/have been good.I did not want to miss out on the fun of 3G and the 3G enabled smart phones.Hence got myself a LG GT 505.(see my review on the same)
Subsequently I took an Airtel GSM connection and had hell getting the GPRS configured.I called the Airtel assistance for GPRS after SMS;The operator flatly refused saying Airtel couldn’t offer it for LG customers. I complained to Univercel the sellers;They were kind enough to follow up with Airtel(The call lasted close to 50minutes)and configure GPRS for me. A 3G enabled phone with an Airtel GPRS was like driving a BMW thru the Dharavi slums.
After the prepaid package expired, I decided to change over to BSNL 3G & got myself a prepaid 3G card a fortnight back.The sellers were not much of an assistance for the GPRS configuration.They gave me basic tips that did not work.I browsed the web and got the GPRS configured;It definitely performed better. BSNL has a portal where in you type in your mobile make and number and they have the settings SMSed to you. You also need to take the help of a no of blogs to get the right APN (Access Point Name)This helps to identify The IP data network the user wants to communicate with.There are many APNs suggested for BSNL, hence you need to try them out to find the one most suitable.
In GPRS settings , the most important criterion is the APN setting;The other fields can be left blank if data is not available.Still the connection will go thru.I reset the GPRS internet settings after I bought a 0.5Gb 3G pack for Rs. 250/. internet.Configuration took time with trials and errors. .But now it works like a song.I am delighted with the browsing results.It is almost close to having your laptop minus the bother of weight (like a mill stone around the neck).An hour of browsing consumes about 8 MB and costs close to Rs 15 to 16Rs. Not bad at all, looking into the convenience.
If you are a gadget buff and a netizen; I would strongly advise a 3G enabled smart phone with of course a BSNL 3G connection;Coz no one else offers it through out the country.;Thanks to the long dilly dallying and fence sitting by our telecom ministry.
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