What does ‘unlimited’ mean? No. It is not what you think. In telecom parlance, it means limited. Then what is ‘limited’? There is no limited, because they have only unlimited, which is limited. If this sounds confusing and senseless, one has to see the promotions for 3G packs / plans by telecom companies.  One company has several 3G ‘unlimited’ plans. If you think the duration is different, no, you are wrong. They are all for one month. Then what does ‘unlimited’ mean? It means, the 3G data is limited. Once you exceed the data limit, you are switched to the snail-paced 2G service, which is unlimited. But doesn’t the promos say unlimited 3G? Yes. The data is unlimited, you get the answer. Then shouldn’t the promos say ‘unlimited data’ instead of ‘unlimited 3G’? No, comes the answer. Because you can always top up with one more pack, then it becomes ‘a little more unlimited’. Why not say straightaway that the 3G plan has only limited 3G data? If they do it, hardly anybody will subscribe to the plans as 3G data is expensive. So, this is one ruse to get subscribers in.

Ok. What about post-paid subscribers? The same company that offers the limited ‘unlimited’ option has an ace up its sleeve. It activates 3G for users with 3G phones automatically. How can they do it? It’s done automatically by the system when it finds that the user has a 3G phone, so that the users ‘enjoy’ 3G speeds. What if the user declines the ‘offer’? Yes, that’s why they are not informed...till they get a bill. Doesn’t this sound like a stupid story? Yes. But what has been described above is true. A colleague got 3G services activated without her consent. She came to know of the activation only after she received the bill of Rs 21,000. Sometime ago, she was on her way to the consumer court.

dinakaran.rengachary@thehindu.co.in

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