Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: dheeraj@cs.umd.edu (Dheeraj Sanghi) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Telephones in India (part II of II) Message-ID:Date: 26 Sep 89 03:39:47 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 97 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 409, message 2 of 7 Various Tariffs in India ------------------------ There are 4 rates for operator assisted calls. 1. Concessional half the ordinary. 2. Ordinary 3. Urgent twice the ordinary 4. Lightening 8 times the ordinary Concessional calls are really the ordinary calls that start between 10pm and 5 am (and all day Sunday, 26th Jan, 15th Aug, 2nd Oct). All operator assisted calls are measured in the units of 3 minutes. Within each rate, one has an option of person-to-person call, but if the person is not present at the other end (but somebody did pick up the phone), some small charge is made. This is to discourage use of coded messages as name of person. The most convenient way of calling is the "Fixed-Time" call. You can book a fixed time call in at least 2 hours in advance. The operator will call you at that time, and will try to connect you with the other number. You pay the "Urgent" rate, but somehow the call always goes through, while the other urgent calls (which are supposed to go through as soon as there is no lightening call) may have to wait. There is slight penalty though. You can cancel a booking until the call goes through, but not with fixed-time calls. You are charged for a minimum of 3 minutes. There is no collect calling or third-party charge. The ordinary tariffs are: (rather were, for they are 2 year old, and were revised upwards last year.) Distance (in KM) Tariff for 3 minutes. (In Rs.) up to 20 1 21-50 2 51-100 4 101-200 8 201-500 12 501-1000 20 1001 and above 24 (1 Rupee is 6 cents) I don't know the rates for operator-assisted international calls. For direct dialed calls (STD and ISD), the tariff is determined by the "pulse rate." For every "pulse", you are charged equivalent of one local call, which was 50 paise (3 cents). For STD, the pulse rate is halved during night time. (I am not too sure about this.) But there is no discount for ISD calls in the night. For STD calls the pulse frequency varies from 30 seconds (upto 20KM) to approx. 2.5 second (1001 KM and above). I don't have the detailed rates. For ISD, the things are much simpler. There are only three pulse rates. 2 sec. for Nepal, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives. 1.2 sec. for the rest of Asia, Africa, Australia, most of Europe. 1 sec. North and South America, and some countries in Europe. e.g. A one minute call to USA would cost 60 * .50 = 30 rupees (1.80$) Almost all the countries can be dialed direct, including USSR. On a quick glance, the countries that I found missing are: China, Burma, Vietnam, Combodia, North Korea, South Africa. (This list is 1 year old, and since then we might have established direct-dialing with China.) There are other tariffs. There is a 100 Rs. testing fee for private equipment. There is a 200 Rs. yearly charge for each facility on the phone (like memory dialing, push-button dialing, STD barring). There is 300 Rs. yearly charge for phones with auto-dialer facility. There is a one-time charge of Rs. 1000 for installation. There is no unlimited service for local calls. How can it be. The STD calls and ISD calls are also counted as number of local calls. The telephone "rental" is 200 Rs. for two months (The billing is bi-monthly) and you get 300 free local call. (I am not very sure about the local calling rate.) Additional local calls are 50 paise each. Calling cards (more like debit card) were introduced last year in areas served by the two MTNLs. You can buy a card for various denominations. You can use them in special phones that will accept them. These phones are located mostly near places like Airport, Railway Stations, Hospitals, and places of tourist attraction. The cost of the call is deducted and the remainder is written back on the card. By the way, there are three kinds of public telephone booths. One, from where you can only make local calls. They will only accept 2 fifty paise coins, and not 1 one rupee coin or other change. Second type is from where you can only make STD and ISD calls. These will accept only those 1 rupee coins that were made after 1980. (But that is no problem, since usually a group of these types will be manned by one guy, whose only job is to give you the correct 1-rupee coins for your bills, or older 1-rupee coins.) The third type are the ones that accept card, and are found only in Delhi and Bombay. There is no surcharge for using the public phones to make long distance calls, but local call is costlier. It is 1.00 Rupee. -dheeraj Dheeraj Sanghi (h):301-345-6024 (o):301-454-1516 Internet: dheeraj@cs.umd.edu UUCP: uunet!mimsy!dheeraj Marriage is the sole cause of divorce.