Slashed rates raises hopes for Dolphin

Rashida Bakait

Much speculation exists in the market about Dolphin's performance. Yet MTNL seems to be optimistic on this front after slashing the airtime rates and introducing special schemes for corporate users of `no security deposits'. MTNL expects Dolphin to fare better in the market and hopes to increase their subscriber base to their set target of 50,000 by the end of this year.

Speaking to CNS, J Gopal, GM (Marketing), MTNL, said that after the cut down in airtime rates the response had been tremendous. "We are getting 100 applications per day" said Gopal. According to the sources western Mumbai is reported to have gather around three hundred customers under the recently launched corporate

scheme.

To further stretch their services for their users MTNL will also be launching prepaid card scheme, next month. "The rates of the card has not yet been decided but it will enter into market next month."

From the initial subscriber base of 8,500, Dolphin's subscriber base has grown over 9,000. Though MTNL hopes for the best, people seem to be skeptical about the services of Dolphin as some section of people have belief that it requires a different handset to subscribe to Dolphin services, the handset that is provided by MTNL, which is more bulky. People are also doubtful about the infrastructure, which is needed for smooth reception of signals.

MTNL officials expressed their concern over these false notions existing in the market and clarified that DOLPHIN services has the best technology compared to their competitors. "We have our engineers working round the clock to test any technological loopholes and they cover whole of Mumbai to test the signals. And we have found no technological loopholes in our services", confirmed

Gopal.

In the next few months the much-awaited Wireless in Local Loop (WiLL) will be coming up in Mumbai after its success in Delhi. The service was supposed to be launched in the month of June but due to some legal problems it was held up, now after the crisis has been solved Mumbai would soon witness its entry into market. WiLL would provide limited mobility to the users and would make telephone lines accessible to the isolated areas in the city where cables are not reachable.

(CNS)