***Airtel offers free Sim, triggers price war amongst mobiles
Airtel, the latest mobile phone service to hit the Sri Lanka market, on Monday opened its launch by offering a free ‘Sim’ card to all those who apply for the service, and immediately set off a price war with competitors.
With hundreds of Sri Lankans queuing outside the Airtel headquarters at Narahenpita, Colombo, in recent days to register for the service, there has been excitement plus competitive concern over the entry of the first new mobile player in more than a decade. Industry analysts said there hasn’t been a new mobile company in this period apart from changes within the industry like Celtel changing its name to Tigo, for example.
Bharti Airtel Lanka (Airtel), the Sri Lankan arm of the leading Indian mobile operator which announced its entry with the greeting ‘Hello Sri Lanka” by Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan in newspaper, radio and TV advertisements, said in full-page newspaper ads headlined ‘Thank you Sri Lanka” taken out on Monday that anyone could walk into a Airtel retail outlet between January 12 and 25 and collect a free Sim card. “The connection will be activated on a recharge of Rs 100 and customers will receive a talk-time bonus of Rs 100 within 48 hours,” it said.
The entry also rejuvenated the mobile phone industry with others running their own ads promoting their product. Dialog, the country’s market leader, said in a full page ad titled ‘Namaste’ India’ that IDD calls to any Indian mobile or fixed phone was available at Rs 10 per minute. Tigo said it had reached two million customers in two years and offered 30% off on an additional Sim card. Hutch was offering a double reload for the price of a single reload. “The price war has begun. This is good for the consumer,” an industry analyst. The current size of the market is eight million mobile phones and seen expanding by another million in the next few weeks with the Airtel entry.
Airtel, the latest mobile phone service to hit the Sri Lanka market, on Monday opened its launch by offering a free ‘Sim’ card to all those who apply for the service, and immediately set off a price war with competitors.
With hundreds of Sri Lankans queuing outside the Airtel headquarters at Narahenpita, Colombo, in recent days to register for the service, there has been excitement plus competitive concern over the entry of the first new mobile player in more than a decade. Industry analysts said there hasn’t been a new mobile company in this period apart from changes within the industry like Celtel changing its name to Tigo, for example.
Bharti Airtel Lanka (Airtel), the Sri Lankan arm of the leading Indian mobile operator which announced its entry with the greeting ‘Hello Sri Lanka” by Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan in newspaper, radio and TV advertisements, said in full-page newspaper ads headlined ‘Thank you Sri Lanka” taken out on Monday that anyone could walk into a Airtel retail outlet between January 12 and 25 and collect a free Sim card. “The connection will be activated on a recharge of Rs 100 and customers will receive a talk-time bonus of Rs 100 within 48 hours,” it said.
The entry also rejuvenated the mobile phone industry with others running their own ads promoting their product. Dialog, the country’s market leader, said in a full page ad titled ‘Namaste’ India’ that IDD calls to any Indian mobile or fixed phone was available at Rs 10 per minute. Tigo said it had reached two million customers in two years and offered 30% off on an additional Sim card. Hutch was offering a double reload for the price of a single reload. “The price war has begun. This is good for the consumer,” an industry analyst. The current size of the market is eight million mobile phones and seen expanding by another million in the next few weeks with the Airtel entry.
Umbalata Tsunami apu wele isselama Sat connection army ekata deela support kare Dialog neda?
