Following the path of Airtel and Aircel, its RCom’s turn now to introduce unlimited Internet browsing plan on Mobile. Though it is termed unlimited, users are actually limited to 2.5GB of data. As we said before on Airtel RC 98 plan, if you truly want to use this plan for only browsing on mobile and not consider it as a replacement of your Broadband (at least until 3G arrives), 2.5GB should be a LOT of data to consume.
Reliance MobileNet plans
For RCom prepaid users, there are 2 MobileNet plans, the MobileNet 5 and MobileNet 51.
While MobileNet 5 Data plan with a validity of 24 hours gives you get 50MB of Data, the MobileNet 51 data plan with a validity of 14 days gives you 1GB of free Data.
To get started with these plans, dial *123*005# (for Day pack) or *123*051# (for 14 day validity pack). With MobileNet 51 pack, you get Rs.51 worth multimedia content like Wall papers, ringtones, and videos for free from R World portal.
For RCom Postpaid users, there is a single plan called MobileNet99 that has a validity of 30 days and gives 2.5GB of Data for free. You also get Rs.99 worth free Multimedia content from R World portal.
For both prepaid and postpaid users, there is also one MobileNet 0, which is a pay per use ‘default’ tariff that charges 10ps for 10kB of data transfer.
This Offer when compared to Airtel prepaid doesn’t look better because Airtel offers 2GB of Data with a validity of one month for Rs.98 per month for prepaid users.
It also has a smaller pack of Rs.24 that gives 200MB of Data with a validity of 5 days.
We said in an earlier post on Vodafone mobile Internet plans that Operators need to introduce such Data plans simply to build up the user base before launching the 3G services. Vodafone didn’t here, but at least RCom seems to have heard us.
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Vodafone mobile Internet browsing plans?
Since I knew that there are Rs.98 Internet browsing plans in both Airtel and Aircel, I went on to check if there is something similar with Vodafone. Unfortunately I couldn’t find one. What’s even sad is that Vodafone users will have to pay for browsing the Vodafone Live portal and for which, data plans exists, sigh.
There is a great variation in the tariff of Vodafone Live portal browsing from circle to circle too. For example, in the Hyderabad circle where I stay, Vodafone has a Rs.98 per month plan for prepaid users with which I get 2GB of data free (note that this can only be used for browsing the Vodafone Live portal).
In other circles, say in Mumbai, the highest plan for prepaid users is Rs.99 per month which gives Unlimited usage of Vodafone Live portal (satisfying 60Mb per day fair usage limit).
In Chennai, I’m only left with Rs.95 per month plan where I get 50MB of free data.
Delhi and NCR: No plans for prepaid (at least, I don’t see any) but there is on Rs.200 and Rs.500 monthly rental plan for post paid users which gives 100MB and 500MB of free data respectively.
Tariffs are extremely hefty for post paid users in other circles too. In Hyderabad (AP circle), for Rs.699 plan, I get a mere 1GB of data and that too at the dreadful GPRS speeds.
We saw Vodafone 3G USB sticks earlier that are being advertised lately but only give 2G speeds, for now.
I think it’s vitally important and high time for Vodafone to introduce plans such as Airtel’s Prepaid Internet plan of Rs.98 per month, just to get their users ready for the 3G generation.
What Airtel has done by bringing back the Rs.98 plan this year is build a solid ‘data services’ user base before launching the 3G services so that they don’t have to face the dire circumstances that BSNL is facing now.
There is a great variation in the tariff of Vodafone Live portal browsing from circle to circle too. For example, in the Hyderabad circle where I stay, Vodafone has a Rs.98 per month plan for prepaid users with which I get 2GB of data free (note that this can only be used for browsing the Vodafone Live portal).
In other circles, say in Mumbai, the highest plan for prepaid users is Rs.99 per month which gives Unlimited usage of Vodafone Live portal (satisfying 60Mb per day fair usage limit).
In Chennai, I’m only left with Rs.95 per month plan where I get 50MB of free data.
Delhi and NCR: No plans for prepaid (at least, I don’t see any) but there is on Rs.200 and Rs.500 monthly rental plan for post paid users which gives 100MB and 500MB of free data respectively.
Tariffs are extremely hefty for post paid users in other circles too. In Hyderabad (AP circle), for Rs.699 plan, I get a mere 1GB of data and that too at the dreadful GPRS speeds.
We saw Vodafone 3G USB sticks earlier that are being advertised lately but only give 2G speeds, for now.
I think it’s vitally important and high time for Vodafone to introduce plans such as Airtel’s Prepaid Internet plan of Rs.98 per month, just to get their users ready for the 3G generation.
What Airtel has done by bringing back the Rs.98 plan this year is build a solid ‘data services’ user base before launching the 3G services so that they don’t have to face the dire circumstances that BSNL is facing now.
vodafone 3g usbstick
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Part 2: Maya Hari On Conde Nast India’s Approach To Digital Sales
When magazines go digital, apart from enabling immediacy of content (discussed here), another important factor comes into play – how does the approach to sales change? Is online inventory sold bundled with offline, or sold separately? Also, given that it is niche content, and is unlikely to reach the scale of a Rediff or Indiatimes, which model do you adopt – CPC, CPM, or spot based sponsorship. In part two of our two part interview with Maya Hari, Head of Condé Nast India Digital (Internet & Mobile), we discussed their approach to sales online.
Will online sales for Conde Nast India will be separate from offline sales?
It’s still an evolving model. We do have a dedicated sales team, but also our advertiser relationships lie in the luxury space on the print side. So there is an integrated model as well. We’ve decided to go the hybrid route, but exactly how it will pan out, and whether it is something that… I think we will evaluate it at the end of six months or a year.
There are two independent media properties – print and online, and these are fundamentally two different skill sets. It’s a question of attempting and seeing whether existing relationships can be leveraged using a hybrid model; here we have a great collaboration between the print and digital on editorial, marketing or sales.
What’s the model that you’re adopting for sales – CPM, CPC, Spot based sponsorship?
We’re starting with spot based sponsorship. I envision this to be the case for at least six months, if not longer, given that we are a niche platform. We currently give 100% share of voice for an ad-banner slot for the period of a week. That might change after six months. In China, we do this on a per-day basis, which presumably, could be looked at, at a later stage. There are others in India who also work on a time-slot basis.
How has the response been from the agencies been, because spot-based is not something they’re used to?
Yeah, it is actually quite interesting, because it’s fundamentally different…there are a few luxury properties online, and because of that, there have been few luxury advertisers online. So the agencies have not the opportunity to deal with too many of these. Also, it is a fundamental shift in the sales model, because they’re so used to thinking CPC, CPM, what is the traffic etc, that this is a very different ball game. Really, what we’re selling is access to an extremely premium audience, rather than the numbers, in terms of wide audience – Pageviews, Unique users. Going mass is not the selling point for us.
So would you look at direct sales, or go down the agency route?
It will end up being a combination of the two. We have the direct sales model, which we lead with because we have relationships with advertisers. But a lot of times, the fulfillment happens through the agencies, so they are never excluded from the picture. It’s just a question of whether the conversation has been led by meeting the client, or it has been a pull generated by the agency. We believe that the space that we are in, because there is no bouquet of portfolio of premium media portals. If we start with Vogue, it’s place where you are getting a predominantly evolved women audience. There are a certain set of brands that I could envision who are struggling to reach out to them, for whom the agencies might push Vogue.in as a media plan as a default. It’s an evolving process. There is interest in the market, and we have to demonstrate that we have the right environment.
What kind of metrics are advertisers looking for, from a premium property? Is it being determined by the content and brand perception, or are there are metrics?
It’s quality of audience. We, in general, as a company in India, always do a measurement in terms of who our audience is. We use several yardsticks to measure income, interest and consumption, through surveys and research. We use yardsticks like – the number of cars, and what categories, how many times do they travel abroad… We would replicate those for online as well, to provide benchmarks to advertisers and brands.
Secondly, there is a certain amount of self-select, in terms of content. There are certain types of people interested in reading about an Anupama Dayal outfit, where to find really kischy Indian silver jewelry, and at the same time aspire or own a Valentino couture outfit. If they are spending time in terms of minutes, and coming back every so often, those are the metrics we will share in order to say that the content is working.
Will some of the content be behind a registration wall?
Currently we’re of the mindset of doing all-open, but having said that, there are certain areas which, in the future, there could be potential to do paid content, though this is something we will debate on a monthly or a quarterly basis. There are certain areas which we feel there is value we will provide to a certain person, whether archives or other portions of content which are premium, there is cost for maintaining that, and if there is value to a certain segment of audience which will be willing to pay for that kind of content.
But fundamentally, as a media property, it’s pretty much an open consumer access property, which goes with what works well in terms of portals internationally.
What plans for the mobile?
We are planning to launch something on mobile, which I’m not able to share yet. I can tell you that it will be primarily for GQ to start with. We will have a WAP presence for all our sites, but what the other mobile play is, I will be able to share with you later.
Will online sales for Conde Nast India will be separate from offline sales?
It’s still an evolving model. We do have a dedicated sales team, but also our advertiser relationships lie in the luxury space on the print side. So there is an integrated model as well. We’ve decided to go the hybrid route, but exactly how it will pan out, and whether it is something that… I think we will evaluate it at the end of six months or a year.
There are two independent media properties – print and online, and these are fundamentally two different skill sets. It’s a question of attempting and seeing whether existing relationships can be leveraged using a hybrid model; here we have a great collaboration between the print and digital on editorial, marketing or sales.
What’s the model that you’re adopting for sales – CPM, CPC, Spot based sponsorship?
We’re starting with spot based sponsorship. I envision this to be the case for at least six months, if not longer, given that we are a niche platform. We currently give 100% share of voice for an ad-banner slot for the period of a week. That might change after six months. In China, we do this on a per-day basis, which presumably, could be looked at, at a later stage. There are others in India who also work on a time-slot basis.
How has the response been from the agencies been, because spot-based is not something they’re used to?
Yeah, it is actually quite interesting, because it’s fundamentally different…there are a few luxury properties online, and because of that, there have been few luxury advertisers online. So the agencies have not the opportunity to deal with too many of these. Also, it is a fundamental shift in the sales model, because they’re so used to thinking CPC, CPM, what is the traffic etc, that this is a very different ball game. Really, what we’re selling is access to an extremely premium audience, rather than the numbers, in terms of wide audience – Pageviews, Unique users. Going mass is not the selling point for us.
So would you look at direct sales, or go down the agency route?
It will end up being a combination of the two. We have the direct sales model, which we lead with because we have relationships with advertisers. But a lot of times, the fulfillment happens through the agencies, so they are never excluded from the picture. It’s just a question of whether the conversation has been led by meeting the client, or it has been a pull generated by the agency. We believe that the space that we are in, because there is no bouquet of portfolio of premium media portals. If we start with Vogue, it’s place where you are getting a predominantly evolved women audience. There are a certain set of brands that I could envision who are struggling to reach out to them, for whom the agencies might push Vogue.in as a media plan as a default. It’s an evolving process. There is interest in the market, and we have to demonstrate that we have the right environment.
What kind of metrics are advertisers looking for, from a premium property? Is it being determined by the content and brand perception, or are there are metrics?
It’s quality of audience. We, in general, as a company in India, always do a measurement in terms of who our audience is. We use several yardsticks to measure income, interest and consumption, through surveys and research. We use yardsticks like – the number of cars, and what categories, how many times do they travel abroad… We would replicate those for online as well, to provide benchmarks to advertisers and brands.
Secondly, there is a certain amount of self-select, in terms of content. There are certain types of people interested in reading about an Anupama Dayal outfit, where to find really kischy Indian silver jewelry, and at the same time aspire or own a Valentino couture outfit. If they are spending time in terms of minutes, and coming back every so often, those are the metrics we will share in order to say that the content is working.
Will some of the content be behind a registration wall?
Currently we’re of the mindset of doing all-open, but having said that, there are certain areas which, in the future, there could be potential to do paid content, though this is something we will debate on a monthly or a quarterly basis. There are certain areas which we feel there is value we will provide to a certain person, whether archives or other portions of content which are premium, there is cost for maintaining that, and if there is value to a certain segment of audience which will be willing to pay for that kind of content.
But fundamentally, as a media property, it’s pretty much an open consumer access property, which goes with what works well in terms of portals internationally.
What plans for the mobile?
We are planning to launch something on mobile, which I’m not able to share yet. I can tell you that it will be primarily for GQ to start with. We will have a WAP presence for all our sites, but what the other mobile play is, I will be able to share with you later.
BSNL Crashes GPRS Price Barriers With 5 New Packs; Comparisons
PSU Telco BSNL has launched five new GPRS plans – not for its new 3G users but existing 2G GSM users – the packs effectively lower the rates of Mobile Internet in India to far affordable levels.
BSNL had 62.8 million wireless connections as of December 2009. The exact number of active GPRS users in the country is not known, but it is pegged at around just 8-10 million of India’s total 525.15 million mobile users: as dismal as the country’s broadband userbase, which was at 7.83 million in December. The New GPRS plans are effective from January 25, 2010 and, except the unlimited plan, applicable to users of BSNL’s 2G data card.
Comparison Of GPRS Packs By Other Operators
Per KB Plans: BSNL has sharply dropped pay per download rates – its Plan 1 allows surfing on your mobile for 3 Paise per 10 KB. Compare this with Aircel’s Normal Plan which offers 10 Paise per KB as does Vodafone Essar’s Pay as You Go plan and Tata Indicom’s flat rate for all GPRS usage. (Updated) BSNL’s rate is a whopping ten times lower than leading operator Airtel’s Zero Rental Plan which is priced at 30 Paise per 50 KB. As Tracy Chapman once said, we’re talking ’bout a revolution!
Daily Plans: Airtel recently launched 2 more daily plans that charge Rs. 20 per day for 8MB and Rs. 10 per day for 3MB but these are restricted to users in Maharashtra & Goa. Vodafone Essar also has another daily plan under its Mobile Connect package for which users have to settle a down payment of Rs. 199 and then are charged a lowered rate of 5 paise per 10KB. But BSNL’s 3 paisa for the same (minus the down payment) beats it hands down.
Tata DoCoMo recently launched its GPRS On Demand pack where one has to pay Rs. 5 and can surf upto 10MB of data downloads – fine for emergencies but not really a reason to shift operators when Mobile Number Portability arrives, is it? Its other plan is for Rs. 33, and data download of 50MB but only for its postpaid users. BSNL’s plan 2 for Rs. 49 offers double the download limit at 100 MB!
Monthly Plans: Tata DoCoMo’s Rs 95 monthly pack allows users to surf until data downloads reach 200 MB (for postpaid users) and 100 MB for prepaid users, and this could be regarded as a fair offer when compared to Vodafone Essar’s Mobile Connect that charges Rs. 250 for 100 MB download. Vodafone also has another plan for Rs. 499 that permits 500 MB download – the priciest of the lot. BSNL has come out with a Rs. 199 plan that again offers double this data download limit at 1 GB – half price for double the amount of surfing!
Tata DoCoMo also has another GPRS offer just for postpaid users that is cheaper – Rs. 33 per month for 50 MB. There is an Airtel Online GPRS plan for Rs. 98 that offers a 2GB download limit but it may be just a promotional offer, available only in Kerala. Its Mobile Office plans are: Rs. 350 for 100 MB, Rs. 599 for 1GB, Rs. 799 for 2GB and their validity is for a month.
BSNL’s plan 3 takes on Tata DoCoMo’s Rs. 95 for 200 MB (for postpaid users, this is 100MB for prepaid users) plan, charging just Rs. 3 extra for 100 MB more of data download – Rs. 99 for 300MB.
3 Day Plan: Aircel’s launch of Pocket Internet prepaid card was game changing because it offered unlimited surfing for 3 days for Rs. 98 and the advantage was that users could connect their PCs or laptops and surf the Internet through the mobile using this plan. Aircel also offered the same for Rs. 14 for Mumbai users, but did not enable the laptop surfing ability. Tata DoCoMo’s Rs. 15 GPRS Pack lasts 3 days and allows one to surf upto 30 MB (for postpaid users, 20 MB for prepaid).
Unlimited: BSNL’s monthly Plan Unlimited charges Rs. 299 (Rs. 274 for prepaid users) and looks quite attractive to those who are addicted to staying connected.
The arrival of simpler, cheaper data plans will help not just users but telcos to boost their revenues. At Mobile India 2010, Google India MD Shailesh Rao talked about how Aircel’s flat rate data plan offered in May 2009 resulted in the number of GPRS users on its network soaring from 30,000 in May 2009 to 1.7 million in October 2009, and data revenues growing by 7 times. Will India’s telecom operators succumb to BSNL’s move and lower data rates too? This might be a way to reduce churn when Mobile Number Portability arrives. Or are they planning to hold onto their cards and wait for 3G?
BSNL had 62.8 million wireless connections as of December 2009. The exact number of active GPRS users in the country is not known, but it is pegged at around just 8-10 million of India’s total 525.15 million mobile users: as dismal as the country’s broadband userbase, which was at 7.83 million in December. The New GPRS plans are effective from January 25, 2010 and, except the unlimited plan, applicable to users of BSNL’s 2G data card.
Comparison Of GPRS Packs By Other Operators
Per KB Plans: BSNL has sharply dropped pay per download rates – its Plan 1 allows surfing on your mobile for 3 Paise per 10 KB. Compare this with Aircel’s Normal Plan which offers 10 Paise per KB as does Vodafone Essar’s Pay as You Go plan and Tata Indicom’s flat rate for all GPRS usage. (Updated) BSNL’s rate is a whopping ten times lower than leading operator Airtel’s Zero Rental Plan which is priced at 30 Paise per 50 KB. As Tracy Chapman once said, we’re talking ’bout a revolution!
Daily Plans: Airtel recently launched 2 more daily plans that charge Rs. 20 per day for 8MB and Rs. 10 per day for 3MB but these are restricted to users in Maharashtra & Goa. Vodafone Essar also has another daily plan under its Mobile Connect package for which users have to settle a down payment of Rs. 199 and then are charged a lowered rate of 5 paise per 10KB. But BSNL’s 3 paisa for the same (minus the down payment) beats it hands down.
Tata DoCoMo recently launched its GPRS On Demand pack where one has to pay Rs. 5 and can surf upto 10MB of data downloads – fine for emergencies but not really a reason to shift operators when Mobile Number Portability arrives, is it? Its other plan is for Rs. 33, and data download of 50MB but only for its postpaid users. BSNL’s plan 2 for Rs. 49 offers double the download limit at 100 MB!
Monthly Plans: Tata DoCoMo’s Rs 95 monthly pack allows users to surf until data downloads reach 200 MB (for postpaid users) and 100 MB for prepaid users, and this could be regarded as a fair offer when compared to Vodafone Essar’s Mobile Connect that charges Rs. 250 for 100 MB download. Vodafone also has another plan for Rs. 499 that permits 500 MB download – the priciest of the lot. BSNL has come out with a Rs. 199 plan that again offers double this data download limit at 1 GB – half price for double the amount of surfing!
Tata DoCoMo also has another GPRS offer just for postpaid users that is cheaper – Rs. 33 per month for 50 MB. There is an Airtel Online GPRS plan for Rs. 98 that offers a 2GB download limit but it may be just a promotional offer, available only in Kerala. Its Mobile Office plans are: Rs. 350 for 100 MB, Rs. 599 for 1GB, Rs. 799 for 2GB and their validity is for a month.
BSNL’s plan 3 takes on Tata DoCoMo’s Rs. 95 for 200 MB (for postpaid users, this is 100MB for prepaid users) plan, charging just Rs. 3 extra for 100 MB more of data download – Rs. 99 for 300MB.
3 Day Plan: Aircel’s launch of Pocket Internet prepaid card was game changing because it offered unlimited surfing for 3 days for Rs. 98 and the advantage was that users could connect their PCs or laptops and surf the Internet through the mobile using this plan. Aircel also offered the same for Rs. 14 for Mumbai users, but did not enable the laptop surfing ability. Tata DoCoMo’s Rs. 15 GPRS Pack lasts 3 days and allows one to surf upto 30 MB (for postpaid users, 20 MB for prepaid).
Unlimited: BSNL’s monthly Plan Unlimited charges Rs. 299 (Rs. 274 for prepaid users) and looks quite attractive to those who are addicted to staying connected.
The arrival of simpler, cheaper data plans will help not just users but telcos to boost their revenues. At Mobile India 2010, Google India MD Shailesh Rao talked about how Aircel’s flat rate data plan offered in May 2009 resulted in the number of GPRS users on its network soaring from 30,000 in May 2009 to 1.7 million in October 2009, and data revenues growing by 7 times. Will India’s telecom operators succumb to BSNL’s move and lower data rates too? This might be a way to reduce churn when Mobile Number Portability arrives. Or are they planning to hold onto their cards and wait for 3G?
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