[tsk1979]

Finally, reliance has gone GSM too,
I have been using reliance for quite a few years, and have enjoyed the cheapest telephony, but the downside has been lousy expensive CDMA phones.
Thankfully. now that will also change
India's Reliance Comm says spends $2.1 bln on GSM | Industries | Technology, Media & Telecommunications | Reuters
The Hindu : Business : RCom rolls out GSM operations

Can existing subscribers convert to GSM hassle free? Any more details from the "in" guys please?

[simply_sunny001]

I dont think so,as its a totally new series i.e. 90 series

so i believe we'll need to buy a new number and there is still no Number Portability in india

its launched in haryana so happened to see this.

BTW its cool cos the CDMA phones eat up the battery.

[Ajaybiz]

Actually Reliance first started with GSM in my native(Chattisgarh) way back in 1997 as Reliance Telecom and CDMA came later in big cities, still there they have both operational over there, dont know how they are going to migrate customers of CDMA.

[amtak]

Whatever happens, I would still prefer to be a vodafone postpaid customer rather than being a Reliance GSM customer. Biggest "thugs" around is how I call them. Have suffered a lot with my CDMA phone (pre-paid) and simply hate the way they ill treat pre-paid customers.

Network - Reliance Rocks
Customer Service - Sorry boss! Even BPL is better!

[WanderNomad]

Though somehow I feel the service quality has gone down after Vodafone taking over Hutch, still I prefer it anyday to all the Airtels, Reliance and Tatas. Too many bad experience with them.

[Steeroid]

So Anil Ambani carried out his threat to Qualcomm - reduce the ridiculous royalty or we move to GSM.

Reliance was supposedly Qualcomm's great big hope to push CDMA over GSM into fast growing developing telecom markets in a bid to catch up with the GSM standard. They pushed to the extent of taking a stake in Reliance when they started out.

Guess thats down the drain now. However, the problem with Reliance was never technology - it was always seen as a kind of wholesale dealer that gave two hoots about the customer. I doubt if that is going to change with the technology - they will still operate like a large polyester wholesaler.

[amtak]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Guess thats down the drain now. However, the problem with Reliance was never technology - it was always seen as a kind of wholesale dealer that gave two hoots about the customer. I doubt if that is going to change with the technology - they will still operate like a large polyester wholesaler.

Precisely. Have you ever called up their customer care? Even if your language option is "English" everything is in Hindi and the way the Call Center personnel speak is absolutely rubbish. I have never heard any customer care professional on call asking me - Haan bolo or kaam ho gaya kya? or worse! To be honest, the quality of the people they hire is very bad. To put it in better words, the people on the operation floor might be good, but the way they have been trained is S**t.

[safari_lover]

Reliance is no good even Network wise. My brother has both Reliance mobile and a land line connection. Most of the times the call doesn't go through to the landline from my Vodafone mobile. And when I call his mobile, the voice always breaks up between the conversation. I don't see such issues with my sister, who happen to use a Tata landline and Airtel mobile.

[tsk1979]

With the recent upheaval in the mobile world, with nokia turning an IP builder, isn't qualcomm going to be the new GSM king too?
As for network issues, I guess they plague everybody, city to city. For example, in BLR airtel users can rarely use their phones.
The appeal or reliance likes in low cost
When I first switched to reliance, I got 1rs outgoing and 1rs incoming on roaming. the cheapest competition was airtel with 2rs/minute.
Now many plans have free calls to all reliance phones, many have free roaming. The rate chart for reliance is simply awesome.

[SirAlec]

Reliance is providing GSM services for the past 7 years in northeast. Infact it was the first company to offer mobile phone services there. It enjoyed monopoly and provided lousy services for many years

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

With the recent upheaval in the mobile world, with nokia turning an IP builder, isn't qualcomm going to be the new GSM king too?

Qualcomm cant be the new GSM king because Qualcomm = CDMA.

Qualcomm had a foot into the GSM market by making WCDMA chips for 3G/3.5G GSM phones, but (when last heard) this is the subject of a patent infringement suit with Broadcomm, during which period the chinese developed their own WCDMA chips. So that market is looking increasingly murky, too.

[Su-47]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

but (when last heard) this is the subject of a patent infringement suit with Broadcomm,

Broadcom with a single 'm' please...

OT, the battle isn't limited to WCDMA alone:
Practising Law Institute - Patent Practice Center - Federal Circuit Decides Qualcomm v. Broadcom

[given2fly]

Reliance have been in WB, MP, Bihar & NE circles for almost 10 years now. But even though they may be cheap, they are not reliable for their pricing, customer services & their GSM network is not that extensive or consistent. I will stay away from Reliance anyday even if they make calls between all my family members free.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by given2fly

Reliance have been in WB, MP, Bihar & NE circles for almost 10 years now. But even though they may be cheap, they are not reliable for their pricing, customer services & their GSM network is not that extensive or consistent. I will stay away from Reliance anyday even if they make calls between all my family members free.

If they make....? Reliance came out with an offer 4 years ago which made calls between all reliance phones free :P

[deetee]

watch out!! Tatas too may jump into the GSM foray,though I doubt if it is under the same brand as indicom.