Airtel 3G services launched in Bihar

Airtel 3G services launched in Bihar on Thursday(31st March 2011)

Bharti Airtel has started its roll out of 3G services in Bihar telecom circle by launching from Patna. Airtel 3G  services will offer Mobile TV entertainment, high definition gaming, video calling, live streaming videos and social networking. Airtel 3G is now present in Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Davangere, Delhi, Hosur, Jaipur , Mangalore, Mysore,  Udupi, Manipal, Shimoga, Tumkur, Tanjore,Tuticorin, Vellore and Patna.

Airtel mobile customers can now experience mobile internet at never-experienced-before speeds with 3G. For  faster internet accessibility for computers and laptop users, Airtel  has introduced special HSPA 3G dongles for customers.

Airtel also announced the national launch of a range  of video Interactive Voice Response (IVR) products, which will help even non-internet users to use video streaming to enjoy the power of 3G services on their mobile phones. With this, Airtel 3G customers can now also make calls to video IVR to access various video products like live darshan, video talkies and video portal.

To activate 3G on your existing Airtel connection steps are ......

1) Check if your city has 3G available

2) Call 12134 to activate 3G or

SMS 3G to 121

You will get a response saying reply with “1″ to activate 3G. Send 1 to 121. You will receive 3G profile via SMS within 4 hours. Save that and use it for the Internet applications as you do for 2G.

NOTE that your 

2G Data Plan will be de-activated.

Make sure your mobile Network setting is set for Dual Mode( 2g/3g UMTS) not just GSM mode.

After the confirmation by subscriber 3G Data Plan “Pay As You Go” will be activated and all data access will be charged at 30p / 20kb.

Airtel 3G  Tariffs

The Tariffs are as follows:

• PAYG VBC (Pay as you go): For all existing Airtel 2G customers who want to experience the power of Airtel internet on 3G for a short while, this tariff plan is the solution. The customer will pay the same prevailing data rates as on 2G service, but with the advantage of a faster mobile broadband.

• Value plans: These plans allow you a 50% discounted rate over the PAYG VBC plan. Applicable only for postpaid users.

• Sachet Plans: The objective of these plans is to drive mass trial and adoption of 3G. As part of the Sachet Plans is also a ‘minutes’ based plan wherein customer can access internet on 3G in terms of ‘time’ instead of ‘volume’. This plan is typically suitable for youth wherein lot of internet browsing has traditionally happened through Cyber Cafes on basis of ‘time’.

• Standard Plans: These plans are best suited for the mid to high-end users of data.

• FlexiShield Plan: This plan has a combination of free data usage and a low inbuilt Volume Based Charging rate. The plan is constructed in a way that it provides the customer the flexibility to start from a relatively lower initial rent and pay as per usage and shields from a bill shock with a bill cap at Rs. 2000.

Airtel has also introduced a first of its kind internet usage calculator (on www.Airtel.in/Airtel3G/) that will help customers monitor and analyse their current internet data usage and choose an Airtel 3G plan accordingly.