There is always something happening with Reliance mobiles. On the same day, in the ET, I saw two news items about Reliance Infocomm.
Reliance emerges No.1 cell co in the country, says one item. Taking only mobile services into account, Reliance (Infocomm and Telecom together) is the biggest operator with 47.96 lakh subscribers.
And why not ? Reliance has taken market blitzkrieg to new heights. The company has pulled all stops to ensure that one can hardly avoid having a Reliance mobile.
I shopped at Fabmall in Bangalore and found myself with a new Reliance connection, with a Nokia handset, all FREE….. I went to the Bangalore book fair, where it took all my wits to avoid finding myself with another Reliance connection….
You get the picture…… sell the phone, service issues can be sorted out later, feels Reliance. Good for them.
For most of us, a mobile phone is an investment to the extent that, having given my number to everyone I know, I would wish to retain that number at all costs. Which means that I am tied to the service, once I get into it. And RIM know this….
Now, they are the number one cell company, surprise, surprise…..
News item two says : WLL (Wireless in Local Loop) to be confined to local call area. Yet another Ambani manipulation. I came to Madras from Bangalore. And found myself with a new Reliance number. And my Reliance mobile is strictly ‘no roaming’ by law.
Where there is a law, there is also a loophole. And if anybody can find it, it is Reliance Industries…..
Apart from this, Reliance Infocomm is also being slapped by The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) for their misleading ads.
Will be good fun to wait and watch how Reliance gets out of this one. And the WLL codes of conduct.
And where they go from here…….