Trends of Cell Phone Calls and SMS in India
Trends of cell phone calls and SMS in India
The Indian cell-phone boom isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Indian mobile operators are adding around 8 million new subscribers a month.
February’s tally of 8.46 million brings the total to 246 million, making the country second only to China.
At the time, there were 34 million subscribers and hopes of hitting the 100 million-subscriber mark.
Introduction of calling cards
The introduction of calling cards is another plus point in the hike of cell phone subscribers. The call rates are so cheap that everyone can afford long distance calling. Especially international calls could be made at a very low cost.
Voice over internet protocol
The voice over internet protocol is one more tag towards call trends. The voip facilitates the subscriber to call abroad at a near zero cost. Most of the Indian cell phones operators are now aware of VOIP and its advantages. They are now switching on their cell phones, computers and landlines to voip. This enables them to communicate to the other end cheaper.
SMS- short message servicing
With around 33 million subscribers in the country, the concept of mobile marketing is rapidly gaining momentum.
The beginnings of SMS
Many youths and small budget keepers thank the Hutch Company for its initiatives of short messaging service. At first the Hutch (which is now Vodafone) gave 100 SMS free per day. There by setting the business and more means of communication cheap and easier to their subscribers. After this the trend spread to other companies also.
Direct and personalized
The communication is more personalized with short messaging service. Especially for the youth and family members, young couples in love do all like this feature of SMS. It targets the other end directly. It is more personalized than making calls. Lets one have more privacy without disturbing the ambience.
Interactive medium
SMS is a better means of interactive medium. It proves to be a direct approach with its non verbal features.
Conversation with a customer
Business and marketing is so simple and easier today than ever else. The companies or the service providers can catch hold and advertise their target audience instantly.
Interaction can be non-intrusive
The interaction between the subscribers would be non intrusive with the short message service. They enable one to communicate uninterrupted.
The calls and SMS adoption is very powerful that -
Irrespective of adoption age, usage intensity increases with advancing current age rapidly.
Irrespective of modern epoch, usage intensity is consistently higher for earlier adopters especially for those owning mobile phones at their 14 years of age.
The effect of adoption age increases sharply with rising current age.
While earliest adoption goes along with largest partner lists at least in the three oldest cohorts, these effects are higher for the 18 year olds than for the groups of more advanced age. The size of personal networks reacts more to immediate current conditions than to lower-term effects of learning and socialization.
Economics of SMS
At first the short messaging service was initiated free of cost. Then slowly all companies including Hutch (Vodafone), Spice etc charged one paisa per SMS, which is now become 5 paisa in Spice, 10 paisa in both Hutch and Airtel.