*TRUMP kinda rocks .
*Yeah . just kinda . It doesn’t deserve to be called the best . nor the worst. I have used trump back in 2005 and using it was a struggle - the network was bad, customercare was hopeless and congestion, rampant! There was no good reason to be a Trump user unless you were on a stingy budget - say a college student who needed to splurge on SMS n stuff - VAS like GPRS n caller tunes were unknown then. I have always been a vodafone loyalist (err . rather Orange and Hutch loyalist - now, I hate vodafone!) When Vodafone took over Hutch, I was expecting a rather plush service to my cellphone. Great network, great VAS n stuff, Sadly, I was mistaken. The apathy of having to scream to your caller on your cellphone when you are in the range of 13 signal towers(at DADAR which is supposed to be the centralised, to face call swooo.shhh.shhing, intermittent disconnections, taking helluva time for activation/deactivation of VAS is simply too much! Inshort, Vodafone well deserves to be sent to hell. And so I did - I screamed at them and told them enough was enough and well, I did swear never to go back to Hutch err. Vodafone ever again.
BPL Mobile offers some weird tariffs and I have always been wary of using Airtel - they deduct your money for nothing - besides they’ll tell its free and deduct money . What a great way to rub salt on the wounds . The only option remaining was Trump. Decided to go ahead with it and bought a pack at the MTNL Prabhadevi Exchange.
Sim Cost: Rs.150 Talktime included: Rs.53 Initial Validity: 10 days.
Number series: 99697xxxxx
I was assured that my connection, having submitted the documents, would start the same evening. And it did! Triumph!
>>>> A tip : A card bought from local mobile dealers(non mtnl) takes atleast 2 days to get activated, so do get it from the MTNL office. That saves time:)
The network has improved by leaps and bounds. At all places, I have got a wonderful network without any of the problems that I faced with Vodafone. It has worked out to be cheap too. **Local call charges of 90 paise to the Dolphin Network, Rs.1.50 paise to other local networks and landlines, MaharashtraGoa network calls at Rs.1.75 and STD charges of Rs.2 are just great. SMS comes in cheap at 50paise for local, 1.50rs for national and 4rs for international.
Besides having a great local network, roaming with elder bro BSNL is fun. You simply can’t be not connected(Although it does take repeated attempts to get through at times). Roaming charges are inexpensive and good enough for the average customer.
*Dolphin Jeevan Saathi(typical of goverment’s indianised scheme names - I wonder why Dolphin is not called "Machhli" . lol.) offers life-time incoming service at Rs.449 with calling rates en-par the regular service class tariffs.
Talktimes available on vouchers are **really great. A Rs.330 voucher gives a talktime of Rs.268 - valid for 30 days with no change in calling rates. Now that’s supercool. Topup coupons of Rs.100/Rs.300/Rs.500 give talktimes of Rs.109/Rs.334/Rs.556 with no validity. Yet another voucher offers Rs.3500 on a Rs.2200 card. yeah u’ve read it right!
This one is valid for 30 days, yet a lifetime customer could reap the benefits over a longer period of time.
Promotional tariffs/offers are almost non-existent. A "Dhamaka" voucher for Rs.51 gives local MTNL cellular calls at 30 paise while reducing other local call charges to Re.1 rather than Rs.1.50. Another voucher of Rs.399/month offers unlimited calling on the MTNL Network(if calls do get through . hehe . well, mostly they will . touchwood . lol)!
MTNL Mumbai has introduced GPRS facility for its customers only on the Salsette Island. That means you can use GPRS between Colaba to Bhayander/Thane/Mankhurd ONLY.
Customers staying in Dombivli/Kalyan/Navi Mumbai have to relinquish their right to expensive web browsing(2 paise per kb) since the network in these areas doesn’t support GPRS.
Discrimination & sheer Indifference ! MMS costs Rs.3/mms(size unknown.)
I haven’t used GPRS so can’t comment as to how good it is.
Caller Tunes are well on its way, if the customer care is to be believed, say, in a couple of months the trrring trrring should be passe(optional) .
MTNL deserves a pat and a whack - at the same time! Whilst some things are really good. viz. the improved network, fantastic talktimes, very less congestion and superior voice quality.
MTNL, I pat thee .
Now for some well deserved spanks!
*Prepaid to postpaid conversion is a mess!
MTNL takes pride in being the only operator which doesn’t promote prepaid to postpaid conversions. Their belief - its a waste of time. Thats what I experienced at the MTNL office the other day. Upon asking for conversion procedures, I was told, in a rather bored tone about the same. Further I got to know, conversion to the same would take 7 - 8 months since MTNL was offering conversion for its 9869 series at the moment and my number was a 9969 series. That is sooooo lame!
Seriously, so lame! Airtel/Vodafone keep offering me conversions within a day. Bureaucratic setups . phew!
All in all, I am happy with the service. Even though I have no problems being connected, I do maintain a cautious approach and put my phone on the highest possible pedestal ever - should it grumble about the non availability of network signals and deprive me of a well deserved call. lol . I also give my number a ring from other phones just to check the connectivity. Tips!;)
Now that I am done reviewing and hope that you’ve read this piece, do not forget to leave behind a comment or two - i’ll appreciate your efforts :) hehe .