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Mobile in India
Mobile in India
India uses both GSM and CDMA and mobile phones are widely available, starting from Rs 500. (3G networks are only starting to be rolled out.) Major operators with India-wide networks include Bharti Airtel,Vodafone,BSNL,MTNL, Reliance Mobile (both GSM and CDMA),TATA DOCOMO (GSM),TATA Indicom(CDMA),Idea Cellular, Uninor,Aircel,MTS(CDMA),Videocon Mobile etc. Not all operators have Pan-India operations but have tie-ups with other operators to provide pan-India coverage via roaming, though roaming charges are higher. Local calls could cost as little as Re 0.10 per minute (typically Re 0.50), although going to a different state within India is considered roaming and additional charges of Rs 1-3/min for both incoming and outgoing calls may apply. International calls are comparatively cheap, with most destinations under Rs 10/min, the same as you'd pay at a PCO booth.
Fully loaded prepaid starter kits are available for around Rs 500 or less, including several hundred rupees of call time. You will need identification and a passport size photo, although some shops will also insist on a local address in India; try the next one if they're not accommodating.
Beware that talk time (unexpired minutes of talk time) and validity (the date that the SIM card expires) are considered separate and you have to keep both topped up, or otherwise you may find the Rs 500 you just recharged disappearing in a puff of smoke when the one-month validity expires. Usually, when you extend the validity, you will also get extra minutes but you can buy minutes for less without extending the validity. Alternatively, if you are in India for a reasonably long time, you can buy a prepaid SIM with lifetime validity and then topup with talktime as per your needs. Please note that in most such cases, you will need to topup atleast once every six months to keep the SIM active. And the term lifetime is slightly misleading as it refers to the life of the license issued to the operator by the Government of India to provide mobile services. If the license is renewed, your services shall continue without any additional charges but if the license is not renewed, your lifetime SIM also becomes defunct. Licenses are awarded to operators for a period of 20 years.
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India Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.