Number portability
There is good news for all mobile phone users in India. The roadmap to introduce mobile number portability that will give cellphone users the freedom to choose their service provider while retaining their numbers has been readied too.
Cheaper, and better, phones
With 3G mobile services, which provide high-speed downloads of data, movies and videos, around six month away, mobile phone makers are getting ready to offer handsets for as little as Rs 3,500, against the currently available minimum price of over Rs 8,000.
Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies is already in talks with leading Indian operators of GSM mobile services to sell a 3G entry-level phone within $80 to $100.
South Korean electronics giant LG Electronics has the KU250 3G phone model, which is positioned as one of the cheapest phones in this category around the globe. "We will launch an adaptation of this model in India for around $100.
Motorola India also expects prices to fall dramatically. It expects the prices of phones to come down to Rs 4,000-5,000. Motorola has about three 3G models that range from Rs 14,000 to Rs 19,000.
Also, contrary to common belief, 3G will not be a premium service. Operators said a start-up package could cost around Rs 299, which is roughly what consumers pay for a fixed broadband service. Unlimited downloading may require subscribers to pay Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 a month.
Image: Customers at a Hutchison Whampoa 3G shop checking out the latest 3G telephones. | Photograph: Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: World's 10 most expensive watches
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