Jan 28, 2006 03:22 AM
8281 Views
(Updated Jan 28, 2006 07:07 PM)
These days a lot of companies are providing 1600 numbers in Indian markets, following the US trend that a customer will call if it is free.
But there is a glitch in the system. The toll-free number is really a limited toll-free number. You can reach it a 100% only when using a landline from BSNL or MTNL.
I tried today, that is, January 28, 2006 here in Chandigarh at 0246 to call the following numbers. The results are also in the same table:
Number called Successful Type of number
1-600-425-4240 (Lenovo India) Yes 10 digit toll free number
1-600-425-4999 (HP India) Yes 10 digit toll free number
1-600-11-4000 (National helpline) No 9 digit toll free number
1-600-22-8844 (MTNL Mumbai) No 9 digit toll free number
The above data clearly states that the BSNL CellOne system interprets the 10 digit toll-free number only and not the 9 digit number. The BSNL landline of course accepts the 9 digit numbers. Interestingly I called (Both from CellOne and BSNL landline) Citibank India’s 10 digit toll free number 1-600-180-2484 and the announcement said “Sorry your line barred from accessing the free phone service”, which could be a glitch at the BSNL level or Citibank explicitly said that calls originating from Chandigarh will not be entertained as a local Chandigarh number exists. This in USA is known as area code blocking.
Now I had read in a post on MouthShut regarding a person from Calcutta (Kolkata) with free CellOne roaming in New Delhi making outbound calls using the ITC (India Telephone Card) for 90 second pulse (https://mouthshut.com/review/BSNL_CellOne_|_Excel-60950-1.html). Of course I have not been able to duplicate that in Chandigarh even though a press release by BSNL in the local Tribune dated May 24, 2004 (https://tribuneindia.com/2004/20040525/cth1.htm) says that it is possible. All calls made to 160233 or 160212 never go thru. Maybe there is a 7 digit access number for the ITC now. It would be strange, but not surprising, coming from BSNL that is. When I go to Delhi this time I will make sure to carry a card and try calling out and post the results here.
Update:
You can now use the ITC/VCC Indian Telephone Card/Virtual Calling Card. The access numbers I could sucessfully call were 160-2233 and 160-2-180. These calls were made from Chandigarh. I think these are nationwide numbers. Please intimate me if this is not true.
Note that only POST-PAID CellOne users are exemppt from airtime charges according to the customer service representative. So Excel users please give a feedback on this.
This is the URL to an image of the BSNL ITC/VCC https://geocities.com/jat50b/BSNL_ITC_Card_Punjab_Region_ReSized.JPG(size-120K
B)
