raccoon

Dunno much about current CDMA sets. The only thing I used while I was on RCDMA was LG RD 2030... the old warhorse. Used extensively for about 4 years.... it was my 1st mobile phone. Even today, after more than 5 - 6 years, its working great, including its battery. Of course battery life has diminished, but it is still very much usable. Maybe you should throw all that trash and buy a 2nd hand RD 2030 instead! I'v seen some GSM handsets also, which are going great for over 5 - 6 years.

Problems after just 1.5 years and you still call it a "good" handset?

Thats right... Airtel seems to be at its worst in Pune/Bombay. I very often have trouble talking to my friends in Bombay.... voice clarity is often very poor (esp. indoors) and call drops are common. In Pune, Airtel had the most disgusting network... but it has improved to an extent in the last couple or so months. Even then RGSM seems to have a stronger (usually at full bars) signal than Airtel, at least at my residence and couple other places. Haven't yet tried it at many other places, so can't say if this is so everywhere.

The STVs are pricy... esp. the one for Rs. 123. I have been using 10p Idea - Idea since more than 2 years now. But only between 3-5 pm and 10-8 am @ daily deduction of 50p. Thats same as Airtel Friendz... except that Airtel has now started deducting Re. 1 per day.

It is of course proved to be harmful... but then ignorance is bliss. I'd think the HT line may cause interference rather than any improvement in mobile transmission.

With almost all CDMA operators going the GSM route in parallel, I really wonder what the long-term fate of CDMA is going to be. I guess MTS will now be the only operator running only CDMA?

Now I'm scared - what if my Nokia desides to go ka-boooooooooooom!? But I didn't understand - did the battery explosion have anything to do with the high-tension pole? I guess not....?

It is different in that the feature you are talking about is handset dependent. So if you go out of coverage area, or of the network is down or your phone is switched off, you SMS will not get sent. Whereas Airtel is offering this as a network feature. In fact I remember using this facility when I was on RCDMA and LG RD2030. It had the funtion of selecting from a predetermined list of hours when the SMS should be sent. But it was a network feature. I used the feature a lot and still do, with my GSM Nokia.

Lol! This per second thing should have been around just a couple months or so ago... Airtel would have gone burst! Used to drop calls every few seconds! Would have loved to see them go burst! They have improved a bit now...

Yes, everyone should! Sounds good that way. But our roads are ALREADY hell. And we are starting at the strong possibility of this making them worse than hell.

RCom is offering PPC and PPM with lifetime validity; but PPS has 1 year validity only! I wonder why Aircel is saying PPS is unsustainable... I guess too many people are making very short (< 1 min.) calls?

This is not exactly old news in the sense that carrying 2 phones is a phenomenon that is catching up only recently. Many people I know are now carrying 2 phones with them. I'm sure this has happened because of the much lower or no rentals required to maintain more than one phone. And hey... by golly, I'v become one myself! But then I don't usually carry my secondary phone (currently RGSM) on myself, because its too much of a hassle, unless I'm carrying a bag... I mostly use it for outgoing calls & SMS when I'm home (which is when I make most outgoing calls anyway).

I guess they won't say that either... because many, many people are just waiting in hope. If they announce, many of them may change operators asap. I know so many people who are just waiting, waiting, waiting... I stopped waiting long ago...

Sad. Seems both Docomo and Aircel don't have good coverage in Poona and whereabouts. Hows Aircel in Bombay?

Millions of people eat everyday without batting an eyelid! If only they would see what transpires behind the scenes, in order to bring them the meat on their tables. Shame on mankind...

One of my friends needs a new connection in Pune. Anybody in town has compared Aircel and Docomo yet? Important factors are network quality and coverage. Tariffs are less important.

As I mentioned before, I noticed things going for the worse right after Anil took over. Thats why I moved out of RCDMA. Right now, I'm back on RGSM only because of the tariffs. The network experience in the last 15 days I have been on it has not been up and down. But right now, again things are working as they should. I am able to make and receive calls and SMSes... touch wood!! Getting thru to Vodaphone numbers seems to be still an issue at peak hours. I even had a couple of long conversations, without any call drops. I don't know if it was because of my emails... but who cares! As long as things work and I'm saving $, I'm happy. Dudes... those who have asked me to write emails, I assume its a joke. Because, I'm sure you guys have done it yourself. Sad that it has not brought results. But then why are you still on the network? Complain, give them a chance to fix things, and if things don't work out, just move out! After tall, there are many choices out there.

Interesting - I have been experiencing (in Poona) all the things you mentioned. On Monday, I had to make a few calls, and not a single call got thru from evening till late night. No incoming calls were getting thru either.... always network busy msg. I was so frustrated, I dashed off a mail to the Service Assurance Cell. Strangely, the next day, I was able to make outgoing calls without a hitch (except for one STD Vodaphone number) and calls were getting thru to me too. Now I dunno my email brought results or it was a coincidence. I just hope things remain workable... can't keep complaining everytime...

I don't think this is correct. At least one of my past numbers (Airtel), which I stopped using, is back in circulation. It has obviously been allotted to some new customer. Also, my current Idea number, which I got about 2 years ago, is from an old series. If it wasn't recycled, then I don't see how they could have allotted such an old series number to me.

If you are sure what you are saying is right, then you should make all the noise possible, and more... Also dash off a mail to DoT, Public Grievances. Or better still, call them.

He he... replying to mails is exactly a rational expectation from most PSUs. Don't have any experience with health insurance in particular, but I'd go with the company's reputation, besides the premium and policy conditions. Bajaj Allianz, Royal Sundaram, IFFCO Tokio should be a good bet.

ICICI is the worst choice for anything. Just keep away from them. But that does not mean all private insurers are bad. Service wise, they are much better than PSUs. Also, PSUs are also known to create issues at time of claims.

You summed it up right. The network rocks in Mah. & Goa circle. Better than RCDMA. Tariffs now seem on the higher side, but the quality is there. GPRS plans are expensive... so I make very limited use of it.

Interesting... thanks for those links! Guess those plans weren't there when I last checked... or dunno how I missed them. 1p/2s is good... better than RCom's Re. 1/3 min.

Right, but... 1) True, STD will more expensive with Uninor. Uninor does not give full TT recharges? I believe RCom gives full TT for Rs. 100 top-ups and above. Not for Rs. 75. 2, 3, 4) I guess these are not applicable in Mah circle. 5) While Docomo and Aircel operate here, I don't think they have any such plan. At least I haven't seen it on their websites. Someone correct me if I am wrong.