[riteshritesh]

Originally Posted by AZT

Vodafone Idea is the market leader and the government wont let it fail, it's bad optics plus they owe banks over 50000 cr so that's another default no one wants.

The Government has to grow a spine and admit that a mistake was made when the draft policy culminated into the final policy and a few key words were dropped, resulting in unfavorable terms for the telcos, which is creating these unwarranted Dues. Everyone, other than the SC wants the Industry to survive, so let's hope for the Government to intervene and help the downtrodden.

Originally Posted by carboy

If you think they are going to shut down in the next year

They claimed they will declare bankruptcy, if the Supreme Court didn't help them, rather than infuse fresh Capital. If that happens, they go to NCLT and no merger will happen.They will go the BPL Mobile/Loop Mobile way, by giving users notice to port out immediately.


A nice read regarding why the Dues arose,for anyone interested.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/74135623.cms

[riteshritesh]

Indiatoday Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/technology...115-2020-02-26

Airtel updates International Roaming services

The new roaming benefits are applicable for both prepaid and postpaid customers.
Airtel has released a bunch of new global packs for customers with various benefits.

Travel Basics - Global Packs for prepaid customers -
-The Rs 1,199 plan is offering 1GB data usage along with 100 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls to India and host country. The pack also offers unlimited incoming SMS for 30 days.
-The Rs 799 plan doesn't offer any data but it provides 100 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls to India and host country. Users also get unlimited incoming SMS for 30 days.

Travel Unlimited - upcoming global packs for prepaid and postpaid customers
-There will be a Rs 4,999 plan that will offer 1GB of data per day along with unlimited incoming calls, 500 minutes of outgoing calls to India and host country, as well as unlimited incoming SMS for 10 days.

[FrozeninTime]

It seems the oldest telecom players in India are back at their usual tricks as TRAI has blocked Airtel and vodafone from introducing premium plans for premium subscribers as these plans violated net neutrality.
These plans provide faster 4G net and calls to its premium subscribers at the expense of normal customers

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.hindu...K40iP_amp.html

[Gannu_1]

Guys, just wondering if we can complain in the PGPortal if the mobile operator is not properly executing the DND service that users have opted for?

I had opted for it a few days back but I still keep getting messages from for instance, BZ-TNDCTS, VX-LICIUS etc. Man, this is a big pain!

[AZT]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Guys, just wondering if we can complain in the PGPortal if the mobile operator is not properly executing the DND service that users have opted for?

The DND service is useless. Have opted for it years back but still keep getting spam messages daily. Just typing this out I got a call from Yes bank credit card sales person, no clue what the solution is.

[riteshritesh]

True. I report every sms through the Trai dnd app and Airtel ( and earlier Vodafone too) revert stating that it was an important communication being sent by XYZ. Never bothered to appeal it further, but I make it a point to lodge a complaint for every sms. Advert Calls, not so much.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Guys, just wondering if we can complain in the PGPortal if the mobile operator is not properly executing the DND service that users have opted for?

I had opted for it a few days back but I still keep getting messages from for instance, BZ-TNDCTS, VX-LICIUS etc. Man, this is a big pain!

Originally Posted by AZT

The DND service is useless. Have opted for it years back but still keep getting spam messages daily. Just typing this out I got a call from Yes bank credit card sales person, no clue what the solution is.

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

True. I report every sms through the Trai dnd app and Airtel ( and earlier Vodafone too) revert stating that it was an important communication being sent by XYZ. Never bothered to appeal it further, but I make it a point to lodge a complaint for every sms. Advert Calls, not so much.

It does not work like that. DND is only for registered Tele-marketing agencies and most of them will give you a call from some pre-set number. Typically starting with 140xxxxx or 141xxxx or something similar.

When I opted for DND, it stopped for me.

SMSs (as those coming from BZ-TNDCTS, VX-LICIUS, DX-DOMOS, etc) are registered differently and they carry both - useful information (your orders, tracking, OTP, etc) and marketing messages.

You can't really have them blocked if you want to order from them once in a while. But if you are 100% sure you don't need them, you can make use of some apps (TrueCaller for example) to get the job done.

Some marketers call you from their personal numbers and hence those are out of the purview of the DND service. You can use the same apps to block those specific numbers after you get the first call. How they got your number is a different matter altogether.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Guys, just wondering if we can complain in the PGPortal if the mobile operator is not properly executing the DND service that users have opted for?

I had opted for it a few days back but I still keep getting messages from for instance, BZ-TNDCTS, VX-LICIUS etc. Man, this is a big pain!

You're much better off getting a functional SMS organizer app that can sort regular and spam messages. Microsoft SMS Organizer works great on Android (recommended by several BHP-ians). Not sure if they have an iOS app yet, but there may be similar ones out there.

[s4ch]

I have been having a terrible experience with Vodafone (Idea/Vodafone-Idea/Vi - whatever they come up with next etc.) for almost a year now. Where I live is pretty much central Pune but terrible network reception, calls constantly getting dropped, SMS's not being received, the full works.

Was planning to travel abroad at the end of December so tried to activate the 149 per month international roaming plan (to just receive SMS's abroad), but they just don't want you to do this! The app only allows you to buy a day/week/month plan all inclusive of minutes and data, but these are ridiculously expensive and I didn't want these. Then tried doing it through their website where through some convoluted, almost hidden menus, you get the option to just select the basic 149 plan. Did this and it cheekily asked for a 500 deposit, even though I have been a customer for years and always paid my bill on time, and even previously used international roaming services regularly in the past.

Anyway, paid the 500 as it was just a couple of days left to travel and I didn't want the hassle of it not getting activated in time. Received a message that it will be done within a few minutes, and then a couple of hours later received a message saying activation has failed and to WhatsApp them. OK so did this, then again all they give me are the options for the day/week/month plans. Finally decided to email them to their customer care to ask for this to be activated, they then had to call me back to verify that I wanted the 149 plan after a couple of attempts to upsell the day/week/month plans. Finally received an email saying it has been done - took about 10 attempts and a good part of 3 hours to get this simple task done.

Now thinking that I am really wise and know that I just need to directly email them to get the same plan activated on my wife's number, I fired off an email. They wrote back asking for a deposit of 5000! I was absolutely livid and replied saying NO WAY and told them to immediately send me a port code as I am moving to Jio. That seemed to do the trick, and within a few minutes had an email from them saying apologies for the inconvenience and the plan is active now.

Anyway that was the last straw for me, so decided to port both our numbers to Jio. Braved going to the Jio store in Koregaon Park mid afternoon when it was not busy at all, and was in and out of there in 30 mins with 2 sims and the port application completed.

But the saga with Vodafone doesn't end there. Within about 15 seconds of sending the port code request SMS to 1900, I started getting calls from Vodafone to convince me not to port. With offers of a special 99 plan just for me, free Netflix, free Amazon Prime, free everything under the sun. Politely told the first person who called that the reason why I am porting is because of poor customer service and also the network issues, the cheeky woman said that we will send you a complaint number and resolve the network issues for you and will therefore cancel the port out request. I literally had to scream down the phone to stop her doing this.

Anyway ended that conversation, and 5 seconds later, another call, different person but same questions. This went on for 4 days, with a total of about 150+ calls, all from different people. I ended up not taking calls for a few days at all and blocking all of their numbers. I tried asking them not to call again saying I have made up my mind, don't want to change, don't want their special plans - this moved on to requesting, then pleading, then begging, but the calls kept coming. Eventually on about the 4th day just completely lost it and said if I receive another call I will make a police case for harassment, and magically the calls stopped after that.

On the 4th or 5th day, the Jio port completed super smoothly, and couldn't be a happier customer right now. Jio's service is great where I live, calls connect instantly and don't drop, and best of all their international roaming plans are super cheap.

So a long saga with Vodafone comes to an end - I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER be going back to them (even if they give me free service for 10 years)!

[riteshritesh]

Originally Posted by s4ch

I have been having a terrible experience with Vodafone (Idea/Vodafone-Idea/Vi - whatever they come up with next etc.)

That was truly written from the heart. Good on you for finding the right solution. I moved to Airtel from erstwhile Vodafone about 11 months ago and no complaints on that front.

Originally Posted by sunilch

It does not work like that. DND is only for registered Tele-marketing agencies and most of them will give you a call from some pre-set number. Typically starting with 140xxxxx or 141xxxx or something similar.

The BZ, VX, AZ, JF and the likes too are registered as telemarketers or Service Providers with the 1st alphabet corresponding to the network they use ( B=BSNL, V=Vi etc etc) and maybe the 2nd syllable also has some reference code. So when I opt for DND, they should ideally stop with the marketing part. Service messages can pass through. Likewise advertisement calls from personal numbers are prohibited but happening.
With a Full DND on, some genuine OTP's are blocked too at times as I have experienced at a Raymonds shop and my condo's app called overview by JLL. They had to retrieve the OTP from their server side for me to proceed ( Raymond's shop gave up).
All in all, DND is a big farce.

[rrsteer]

I have been using a Jio wifi dongle for internet in my village house, which is actually built some distance away from the village, in the fields. Till recently, I had been surfing the net through the dongle without any issues, having streamed multiple movies on the TV through chromecast, anytime of the day or night.

This winter, I witnessed a strange situation. I could access the internet alright during day time, but for some reason there would be no internet at night. I observed the same thing on the Airtel connection in my phone and Vi connection on my wife's phone. Fast internet connection during daytime and awesomely irritating slow speed internet at night. Generally the signal bars shown on the phones would also get reduced by 1-2 bars. But then sometimes the signal would be full strength and the 4G next to the bars would get replaced by the 'E' symbol. Can anyone explain why would this be happening? Each of the three operator's service centers had no clue about it.

[Fx14]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

Fast internet connection during daytime and awesomely irritating slow speed internet at night. Generally the signal bars shown on the phones would also get reduced by 1-2 bars. But then sometimes the signal would be full strength and the 4G next to the bars would get replaced by the 'E' symbol. Can anyone explain why would this be happening? Each of the three operator's service centers had no clue about it.

IIRC the 'E' symbol used to denote EDGE GPRS network reception during the 2G days.

Some years ago, one of the providers had a disclaimer clause in their plans stating that "while on roaming, in areas without upgraded networks, 2G/3G access would be provided".

Not sure if at the same location it can vary at different times of the day. Though if your network reception is switching to 2G it would explain the drastic reduction in speed.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by Fx14

IIRC the 'E' symbol used to denote EDGE GPRS network reception during the 2G days.

Some years ago, one of the providers had a disclaimer clause in their plans stating that "while on roaming, in areas without upgraded networks, 2G/3G access would be provided".

Not sure if at the same location it can vary at different times of the day. Though if your network reception is switching to 2G it would explain the drastic reduction in speed.

Could it be that the networks switch their towers from 4G reception to 2G/3G at night as it may be consuming less electricity and hence lower costs for them? Just a layman's guess.

[mukeshgoel]

Originally Posted by Fx14

Some years ago, one of the providers had a disclaimer clause in their plans stating that "while on roaming, in areas without upgraded networks, 2G/3G access would be provided".

Telecom operators in India (and worldwide) are shutting down 3G networks to make spectrum available for 4G/5G networks. So, it is going to be either 4G or 2G (for feature phone users) very soon.

https://gadgets.ndtv.com/telecom/new...ary-15-2346213

https://www.livemint.com/companies/n...900449671.html

[swissknife]

Though Vodafone (Vi) have an international roaming pack (Canada) for prepaid users at 295 INR (40 minutes of incoming+outgoing) it did not work. On calling Vi they said that the primary balance should be at least INR 99. It was only after the primary balance was brought above that limit did the phone latch on to a local service provider in Canada. No where could I find this minimum requirement on the primary balance.