Pune Telecom’s new avatar

What are the new facilities that you have introduced?
Actually most of the services we have are not really new. They have been operative for quite some time now, but sadly and I don’t know why, people don’t seem to be aware of them. Things like call transfer (where one dials 114 and the number where one will be available to transfer all calls to the other number) and morning alarm have been available since December.

We have recently introduced the virtual calling card or a pre-paid card. This card enables one to make calls from any telephone number without the call being billed to that number. For Rs 105 one can get a local calling card. STD and local calls costs Rs 210. ISD, STD and local costs Rs 525. These cards are available at our offices on Bajirao Road, the customer care office on East Street and the area manager’s office at Chinchwad. This facility offers flexibility to the user. He need not go to an STD booth to make a call. The card informs you of how many calls are remaining and so on. The other facility we have introduced is the Calling Line Identifier.

In the past, a person receiving obnoxious calls had to make a written complaint to the exchange and then we’d tap the line. But, with this instrument which costs Rs 1500 to Rs 2000, one can keep tabs on the callers. It also has a memory for a 100 calls . So, in a way, it acts as an answering machine too. All electronic exchanges in Pune now have a free-call waiting service. This means that even when the phone is in use, the caller will not get an engaged tone. The receiver gets a beep tone while talking and by tapping the hook switch or the flash button one can attend to the other call and then get back to the first caller. Despite this being a free service, people do not use it because most are not even aware of it.

I have received calls from irate users at 1.30 a.m. complaining about the telephone service. But when people have problems with their trunk calls they can address their grievances to our emergency duty officer who is available from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on 6682425.

Billing, I admit, used to be a problem when we did not have the electronic exchange. But now, with all the urban exchanges in Pune being electronic, I don’t see how this can be a problem. If at all there is an error it will be very huge which we can recognise easily. In the month of May, we received complaints for only 0.1 per cent of our bills Generally, bills get inflated because it is misused by others and the owner finds out only when he receives the bill. Most people do not use the STD locking code and then complain about high bills.

"What often happens especially to people who have a number display on their instruments is that the code is seen by those who want to misuse the line. Or some instruments display the last number called, which reveals the code. To prevent this, I would advise people to ensure that outsiders cannot see them dialling the code and after locking their STD facility, to call a local number.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has made these recommendations and we are simply following it. If you look at the larger picture, you will realise that the revenue system had to be rationalised. Twenty per cent of our customers who use the STD and ISD facilities, provide 80 per cent of the revenue.

In a way, it was this revenue that was subsidising those who use the phone minimally. Now, with this graded rates, the charges have been justified. Under the new system, people making 200 calls will be charged Rs 180 per month as rent. More than 200 calls and the rent will go up to Rs 250 per month. Calls will also be charged according to usage. Seventy-six to 200 calls will cost 80 paise per 3 minutes.

For more than 500 calls made from your phone and you will have to pay Rs 1. 20 per three minutes. Along with this, the STD rates have been reduced. I agree that the rates have gone up but with the other facilities, one can still keep the phone bills down. For example, it would make more sense to use a pre-paid card along with your phone so that you stay in the low-rate slab and yet are able to make calls. If I stop using my phone at 200 calls and use the pre-paid card then I will not have to pay the additional rent or the hiked call charge. Also, instead of booking a trunk call, an STD call would work out cheaper at night. So, though rates are up there are ways to avoid big bills.