Indian Eid SMS cheaper
By Shalini Singh

In the last few months, I have been reporting about how most Pakistani Telecoms drop all SMS discounts during Eid.  Apparently, the traffic is so high that the networks cannot cope. Not dissimilar to what happens on Diwali in India.  SMSs sent on Diwali are charged normal SMS rates with no discounts being applicable.

Propakistani is reporting that leading Pakistani Telecoms like Mobilink have again blocked daily SMS bundles till December 2, due to their heavy usage during Eid. 

What Telecom companies do is their business and is driven by revenue and customer goodwill considerations.

What is more interesting is that despite being blessed with a substantial Muslim population (160 million in India), every Indian telecom has concessional rates during Eid. But don’t do the same for some special days of other minorities.

Some Indian telecoms even drop their concessional rates on holy days like Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s birthday and Ugadi.

Why full rate for Guru Gobind Singh’s birthday and concessional SMS rate for Eid?  To my mind, there will be more SMSes on Eid than Guru Gobind Ji’s birthday. Are more than business considerations in play here? India is greatly admired for the way it respects its minority communities. And we are richer by having a multi ethnic, multi cultural society. Perhaps, all minorities should benefit from such SMS concessions.

The Blackout days for major Indian telecoms as described in their websites are

Airtel : New Year's Day, Guru Gobind Singh B'day, Lohri, Republic Day, Valentine's Day, Holi, Baisakhi, Friendship Day, Independence Day, Dussehra, one day prior to Diwali, Diwali, Guru Nanak Day & New Year Eve have been specified as "Black Out" days when all P2P SMS will be charged at base price.

BSNL: Facility of reduced rate (Special Tariff Vouchers) will not be available on 5 black-out days, i.e. New Year Eve 31st Dec., New Year Day 1st Jan., Valentine Day, Diwali & Christmas Day. (Except India Golden 50, Golden 50 plus & One sec pulse)

Vodafone Blackout Days: Akshaya Trithiya, New Year, Republic Day, Valentine Day, Holi, Ugadi, Vishu, Friendship Day, Independence Day, Mahasaptami, Dassera, Naraka Chturdashi , Diwali, Christmas, New Year and New Year Eve.

(Techgoss had published the following on Oct 20, 2009)

Pakistan Eid SMS probe
By Shalini Singh

In September, 2009 hundreds of millions of devout Muslims in India and Pakistan observed Ramdan and then celebrated the festivities of Eid.  In secular India, the Prime Minister, most Chief Ministers and media wished everyone Eid Mubarak. Respected Bollywood icons like Aamir Khan made it a point to make public their Eid goodwill to all their Indian brothers and sisters.

In a strange twist, India’s No. 1 telecom company Airtel only charges its usual concessional rates for SMSes exchanged during the Holy Eid.  But Airtel drops these concessions and charges higher rates on Indian festivals like Diwali, Dusshera, New Years Day and even Friendship Day. Eid is excluded from any such black out periods.

While Airtel was offering concessional rates, two of Pakistan’s biggest Telecom companies dropped their normal discounted rates during Eid and charged their users full price.  Dawn is reporting that the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority is considering action against these two cell phone companies

“
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) is considering action against two cell phone companies over a reported withdrawal of an SMS bundle offer package during Eidul Fitr days without prior notice to customers. “We have taken note of the withdrawal of the SMS bundle,” PTA chairman Dr Muhammad Yasin told Dawn on Wednesday.

The two operators reportedly suspended their package for three Eid days and charged their subscribers between 20-paisa and Re1 per SMS.
“

(Techgoss had published the following article on Oct 16, 2009)

Eid SMS less than Diwali
By Shalini Singh

Last month, I had reported on the public backlash in Pakistan after two local Telecom companies blocked concession rates for SMS on the holy day of Eid.

Now, in the lead up to holy Diwali, an Indian political party is trying to pressurize Indian telecom companies to continue its discounted rates even for Blackout Days like Diwali.  Airtel, like most major Indian telecom companies, makes it clear that its concessional rates for SMS will not apply on New Years Day, Friendship Day, Dusshera, Diwali and New Years Eve.  If you are a customer of low cost Airtel Campus Service these Black Out days include New Year's Day, Guru Gobind Singh B'day, Lohri, Republic Day, Valentine's Day, Holi, Baisakhi, Friendship Day, Independence Day, Dussehra, one day prior to Diwali, Diwali, Guru Nanak Day & New Year Eve. On Black Out Days, customers lose concessions and have to pay full rate.

Indian telecom operators do not have a Black Out day for Eid. While India has a substantial Muslim population, this exclusion of Eid from Airtel Black Out Days could be because of a number of reasons.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has strong support among many Hindus in India.  It has some very highly qualified leaders and an equal number of high profile supporters. The Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia, via his lawyer, has served legal notices on telecom majors on why they have a Black Out Day on Diwali. Mr. Togadia was quoted as saying: "the Hindu customers who have bought services of mobile companies based on their advertisements and offers on cheaper or free SMSs are being cheated this way on Diwali."

While this legal move by VHP may have won them much media, some goodwill and more votes, the fact is that it cannot do much as the Indian telecom operators make it clear months in advance that all SMS users will have to pay full rates on days which experience peak phone and SMS traffic.

You know how this will end?  The lawyers of the Telecom company will reply in their legalese.  VHP will not pursue it any more as it has earned its Diwali goodwill in reaching out to its constituency via free publicity.

(Techgoss had published the following article on Sept 23, 2009)

No SMS on Eid
By Shalini Singh

Tens of millions of devout Muslims in India observed Ramdan and then celebrated the festivities of Eid.  In secular India, the Prime Minister, most Chief Ministers and media wished everyone Eid Mubarak. Respected Bollywood icons like Aamir Khan made it a point to make public their Eid goodwill to all their Indian brothers and sisters.

Across the border in Pakistan, two telecom companies – Telenor and Mobilink - seemed to be shooting themselves in the foot by blocking SMS on this holy day. Both blocked SMS Bundles for many days leading up to Eid.  This is one sure way of alienating customers.

Telenor Pakistan also operates in Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh.  A leading telecom operator in Pakistan with investments exceeding $2 billion, Telenor Pakistan claims to be the fastest growing mobile network in that country.  The Telenor Group has 165 million customers world wide.

Telecompk is reporting

“
SMS Bundles are going on Eid holidays for Telenor subscribers. They have suspended on all SMS bundles till 24th September 2009.

Dear Customers, SMS Bundles have been suspended till 24th September 09 to provide you better service during EID. Please subscribe again on 24th September after 2pm. We apologize for any inconvenience.

-SMS notification received by bundle subscribers
“

Admittedly, SMS traffic doubles during Eid in Pakistan.  But one would think that such religious occasions are great times to build goodwill with customers rather than blocking them.