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G. Rambabu

As compared to WLL roaming, a GSM subscriber can roam from Delhi to Mumbai, stay connected during the travel period and also can retain his original telephone number both for receiving and making calls. And there is the question of tariffs the subscribers have to pay.

New Delhi , Aug. 28

Consumers who want to go in for a limited mobility (WLL) connection, may feel confused over the latest controversy over call-forwarding and multiple registration services (MRS) being offered by the operators.

Even though basic operators may want to convince subscribers that these services are akin to "roaming" that is offered by GSM cellular operators, the consumer will not really be able to use this facility in the same way.

Hopping from one short distance charging area (SDCA) to another using the same WLL connection is not as smooth and seamless as it is for the cellular subscribers.

A comparison between this seemingly similar service for both the networks shows that the WLL subscriber is being fooled if he believes that he can roam effortlessly on his connection.

A subscriber who takes a WLL connection is under the impression now that by registering in different locations across the country, he can use his same connection whenever he visits these specified areas.

In other words, if a subscriber in Delhi specifies that he wants to be registered in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, he can use his WLL handset whenever he visits these cities. Nothing can be more misleading.

As the basic operators themselves admit, it is not as easy as it seems.

The biggest disadvantage is that the subscribers' handset will be useless during the travel period. If a subscriber wants to travel from his home location say Delhi to Mumbai, the handset will go dead as soon as he leaves the SDCA of origin. Even after he reaches Mumbai he has to first authenticate his handset and will be given a temporary telephone number. It will take sometime (minimum of half an hour) for him to start receiving all the calls made to his old number.

To top it, another disadvantage is that none of his regular contacts will be able to identify his new number when he calls them up. Unless, of course, he individually informs everyone of his new number.

What is more, for each subsequent visit that he makes to Mumbai he will be given a different telephone number, and does not have the option of having one permanent number in each city that he roams.

This is because, as the basic operators point out, the numbers that they can give the customer is finite and they can only allocate numbers, which are free at that given point of time.

As compared to this a GSM subscriber can roam from Delhi to Mumbai, staying connected during the travel period and also can retain his original telephone number both for receiving and making calls.

Then of course there is the question of tariffs that the subscribers will have to pay. If someone in Mumbai calls him at the Delhi number, the call will go all the way to Delhi, and then get forwarded back to Mumbai.

Unlike the GSM cellular subscriber who will pay local call charges, the WLL subscriber will have to pay the STD rate for receiving such a call.

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Roaming for WLL user comes at a price

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