The Hindu Business Line : Airtel launches GPRS, MMS facilities in Maharashtra and Goa circle

Riding on the GPRS network, the company also announced the launch of its multimedia messaging service (MMS), which will allow its 85,000 post-paid subscribers to send multimedia messages including pictures, images and sound clips, Mr ChristopherTobit, COO, AirTel Maharashtra and Goa said.

The MMS service is also supported by MMS Masala portal on the Web site www.airtelworld.com where subscribers can download pictures of their favourite stars, incorporate personalised greetings before sending to friends.

At Rs 600 per month, post-paid subscribers can avail of unlimited access to the Internet, according to the company which announced that it would extend the same facility to its pre-paid subscribers whose strength currently stands at over 2,65,000. The company is betting on the fact that the youth segment, which constitutes a large part of the pre-paid subscriber category, will fuel the growth of the GPRS and MMS services.

Post-paid subscribers will have the MMS free for the first one month while subscribers will get the rent on GPRS waived till September. The company has, meanwhile, also launched its mobile office application on GPRS network by which customers can access Internet including email on their laptop using a GPRS mobile phone across all Airtel circles.

``This can be an indispensable asset since it allows executives to remain connected and in touch on an anytime and anywhere basis,'' Mr Tobit said.

Mr Tobit said that the MMS could complement the SMS services it already offers and together could fuel growth, especially in the youth sector which is a huge user of the SMS service.

The Airtel network has recorded the use of 12 lakh SMS everyday. ``Even if 4-5 percent of the SMS user community starts using GPRS and MMS, it could prove to be a very good beginning,'' he said.

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