Hutch bill can be paid at post office

Chennai: Hutch subscribers can now pay their mobile phone bills at designated post offices in Tamil Nadu.The Hutch – Postal Department tie-up covers 131 post offices in Tamil Nadu, including 36 in Chennai.To locate a post office closest to them, customers can SMS – PO (area pincode) to 111.Customers will then receive a list of nearest post offices.The post office payment option is in addition to facilities such as tele-shops, self-service kiosks, online payment and drop boxes, said Kumar Ramanathan, Operations Director, Hutch (Tamil Nadu).The post office facility is targeted at customers who prefer cash payments.

Reliance network in Madurai is now under new technology

Madurai:Reliance Communications has brought its entire network in Madurai district under an IP-based next generation network solutions that has enabled faster and cost-effective network roll out.In a statement, its Chief Executive Officer (Tamil Nadu circle), Sureshkumar Ramiah, said that Huawei Switching System occupied less than 50 per cent of space occupied by a conventional mobile switching centre and hence lesser operational cost. Lower backhaul cost Besides, it ensured about 40 per cent lower backhaul cost than conventional systems, hence lesser capital and operational charge.

The pilot project of the new technology implemented in Madurai showed the way for fast deployment of high capacity network solutions.Reliance Communications has plans to continue with the network expansion on the new technology in the State in the next three months.Airtel has introduced a combo booster pack for its prepaid customers in Tamil Nadu that allows the users to make local calls within Airtel subscribers at 20 paise a minute.In a statement, Airtel said that the pack offered maximum savings to its customers, fitting into all budgets. 49 paise a minute

Any Airtel customer who opted for Rs. 69 booster pack can make local calls to any mobile at 49 paise a minute and long-distance call to any mobile in the country for Rs. 1.50 a minute.The subscribers will migrate to their original tariff plan if they do not recharge with the combo booster pack after 30 days.

e recharge feci at BSNL

Chennai:BSNL Excel prepaid mobile subscribers need no longer scratch coupons to top up their accounts. The telecom provider will introduce on Monday an ‘e-recharge’ facility that would make the coupons redundant.A press release issued by BSNL Chennai Telephones said subscribers could use the facility to get their accounts topped up at any of the franchise retail outlets or area service centres. The retailers and service centres will have an electronic account with BSNL and they would intimate the service provider the denominations of the recharge done by the customers. After making the payment, the customers will receive an SMS message confirming their top up.

Newspaper in Education Programme for 2007-08 launched

Chennai:“Reading is like a Paracetamol. Any problem we have in the course of our student career, the only solution to it is reading,” said M. Kailasam, Senior Principal, Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School, at the launch of the Newspaper in Education (NIE) Programme for 2007-08 here on Wednesday. The Newspaper in Education Programme aims at teaching schoolchildren to read the newspaper and making reading an enjoyable experience. Resource personnel with a passion for teaching go to various schools and use the newspaper as a tool to aid in education.

Reading the newspaper everyday would “create thinking abilities and a creative and analytical mind,” N. Krishnan, Regional General Manager (Circulation), The Hindu  said. He added that apart from reading the newspaper, schoolchildren would also be taught life skills, public speaking and various other skills depending on the class they were in. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, The Hindu launched the NIE programme in 48 schools in 2004. Last year, the programme was held in more than 250 schools and catered to over 78,000 students.“It is a fun-filled programme,” said S. Poornima, coordinator and trainer of the NIE programme.

She added that NIE aimed at facilitating the habit of reading among schoolchildren. This year, the NIE programme’s target is 350 schools and one lakh students.A student of Velammal School, who had been through the programme last year, said it taught students time management and the importance of body language.

BBC content on Radio One

Chennai:Radio One FM 94.3 has tied up with BBC World Service for content for its breakfast show.According to L.V. Navaneeth, Station Head, Radio One, Chennai, the association with BBC would help offer value-added programmes to listeners.Radio jockey Suchitra is hosting the breakfast show from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. from Monday to Saturday.The BBC content, produced in Tamil, will comprise celebrity interviews and features on international events to Chennai's FM radio fans.

Cellphone anti-theft software launched

Chennai: A software to help mobile phone users turn the tables on handset thieves was launched in the city on Thursday.Mumbai-based Innova Technologies unveiled the Virtual Mobile Security (VMS) suite, an anti-theft software that would lock up the phones in case of unauthorised SIM card change or if the owner sends a text message alert to the culprit. The password-protected software would literally render the handset useless to anyone but the owner.

It would also forward the new SIM card number, the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of the handset and the cell phone number of the new user via an SMS to a mobile phone nominated by the user.It would run on stealth mode, the company representatives told reporters at the launch function. "The new user would not even know that he is being tracked," they added.Right now the software is compatible only with second and third generation Nokia mobiles using Symbian OS.

The software also provides the registered users to spy on the new users and even nag them. It would set off an alarm siren every time the user receives a call. There is also an option to activate the speakerphone remotely to spy on the new user. Though it is similar to other anti-theft software available in the developed markets, such as Symbian Guru's `Phone Guardian,' Innova Technologies promoter Kshitiz Jain said the software also offered an option hitherto unavailable.

"The user can retrieve important phone numbers from the mobile by sending an SMS to the new user.This is an important feature because most users do not know the stored phone numbers by heart." Innova has tied up with Vibrant Marketing to market the product in Chennai.It would be available with mobile phone retailers soon.

BSNL broadband services disrupted

Chennai: Broadband services of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in Chennai were disrupted for several hours on Wednesday after a key server in Bangalore developed a technical snag. The problem is reported to have affected DataOne subscribers nationwide.

According to a BSNL Chennai Telephones spokesperson, the server that provided user authentication for subscribers logging into the network from anywhere in the country went down in the early hours of the day. For nearly 10 hours after that DataOne users were cut off from the Internet.

Normal services were restored by around 2 p.m., an official said.DataOne is patronised by over a lakh subscribers in Chennai. The last available estimate put the subscriber base at 1.05 lakh and that number has been growing since BSNL recently resumed issuing new broadband connections.

The issuance of new connections had been suspended for nearly five months since January after existing port infrastructure reached saturation point.An additional 20,000 ports along with stocks of Customer Premises Equipment (modems) have augmented BSNL's broadband logistics across the city.

Radio Mirchi launched its FM station in Goa

With the new addition, Radio Mirchi is now available in 13 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Indore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Pune, Patna and Jallandhar.Entertainment Network (India) Limited (ENIL) will roll out 19 more radio stations by the end of this year.

Radio Mirchi Goa 98.3 FM shares the same programing list as Radio Mirchi in other cities. The shows are Hello Goa, a charged up breakfast show to say hello! to a bright new day; Khoobsurat, for the women of today; Total Filmi, for the latest Bollywood gossip; Bindaas Ramdas, a gaming show; Purani Jeans for retro music and Dr. Love, a show which prescribes the best medicines for love related problems.

Remo's Sussegad Sundays special weekend show, hosted by Goa's Remo Fernandes, is tailormade only for Radio Mirchi's Goa listeners. Slotted to air from 1 to 2 pm on Sundays, the show will present Remo's favourite world music, interspersed with his anecdotes and trivia on the music.On the new addition, ENIL (Radio Mirchi) COO Nandan Srinath said, "Radio's strength is its immense flexibility, adaptability and suitability for a modern and active life. Lots of towns in India today are energy starved and with the launch of radio stations across the country, radio will soon be a familiar sight. We expect the Mirchi style of programming of Radio Mirchi to revitalise radio in Goa, just the way we have been able to win the loyalty of listeners in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and other cities."

Commenting on his association with Radio Mirchi, Remo Said "I've always wanted to have my own radio show where I could play my favorite music... the kind which is not on the Indian charts, but which I have collected over years of traveling on my concert tours. This idea finally materializes through Remo's Sussegad Sundays - which is 'cool', on Radio Mirchi- which is 'hot', making it a great combination."

BSNL plans to upgrade 25 District Telegraph Offices

Chennai: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd Chennai Telephones plans to upgrade 25 District Telegraph Offices (DTO) across the city into one-stop outlets providing a range of telecom services on the lines of customer support centres.In the initial phase, six DTOs have commenced online transactions relating to BSNL fixed line and mobile bill payments. These multi-tasking centres are located at Adyar, Anna Nagar, Koyambedu Market and CMBT, Ambattur and Anna Road.Soon, they will be equipped to accept applications for connections, telephone shifts and other fixed line services, a BSNL official said. They will also issue CellOne SIM recharge and top-up cards.

The upgradation of DTOs to the level of customer service centres forms part of BSNL's strategy to diversify payment options that range from cash counters and post office remittances to Internet transactions. At the same time, it frees DTOs from relying too much on revenue from telegrams or facsimile at the risk of turning unviable.The staff at the upgraded DTO adjacent to the Head Post Office on Anna Road has taken to their new roles with ease. Employees went through training in customer relations and computer basics before telecom transactions went online.

The Sub Divisional Engineer-in-charge Deenadayal says though telegrams are still the prime reason for a customer visit to the DTO, the number of subscribers dropping in to make bill payments is gradually increasing.But though the DTO has touched a high of Rs. 1 lakh in daily collection since the online facility became available a couple of months ago, one suspects that the word has not gone around quickly or far enough. Supervisors Venkatesh and Mohan Babu point out that telegrams--a round-the-clock facility--remain the most high-profile function of the Anna Road DTO with people from as far away places as Tambaram and Ambattur dropping in to send telegrams. Business houses, the police and the courts account for the bulk of telegram transactions here.

Though English is the golden standard, messages in Tamil and Devanagari are taken down and faxed to the addressee. Interestingly, the modern telegram is seldom a purveyor of bereavement news, the staff said.In terms of volumes, the number of telegram despatches may have drastically come down from the era preceding the telecom and technology revolution, but the word-count per despatch partly compensates for the decline. Official telegrams are far from the one-liners that were once associated with this form of communication, with the average word count of DTO despatches averaging around 200 words.Some telegrams run into four pages and a word count of 300 or more, though the most expensive transaction yet at this DTO relates to a telegram that contained 1,500 words, said Srinivasachar, a supervisor.

Protests from residents

Chennai Telephones decision to close down the customer service centre in Nanganallur has evoked protests from residents.Residents of Nanganallur and nearby areas are protesting against Chennai Telephones' decision to shut down a customer service centre at Lakshmi Nagar.The decision to shift the centre to Madipakkam was made a month ago, Chennai Telephones officials say. They say the building was cramped and hence the decision to put up the facility in a spacious building.

Welcoming the move to open a customer service centre at Madipakkam, residents and civic groups at Nanganallur term the decision to close the Nanganallur facility "anti-people." The Nanganallur centre, which was opened in July 2005, caters to the needs of 15,000 subscribers of Pazhavanthangal, Nanganallur, Thillai Ganga Nagar and Adambakkam, and another 10,000 subscribers of Madipakkam and nearby areas.

Subscribers from these places used the centre for various services, including booking new phone, surrender of connection and applying for broadband Internet connection.According to office-bearers of the Lakshmi Nagar Civic Welfare Association, housewives and senior citizens were dependant on the centre. "If the Chennai Telephones wants to tone up its customer service, let them start more centres, instead of closing down the existing ones," says V. Rama Rao, secretary, Lakshmi Nagar Civic Welfare Association.

Senior engineers of the Chennai Telephones say the Nanganallur centre also catered for the subscribers at Madipakkam, Ullagaram-Puzhuthuvakkam, Keelkattalai and Nanmangalam.In fact, a centre was set up at Madipakkam to lessen the burden of subscribers in these areas, who had to travel all the way to Nanganallur.It would benefit around 10,000 subscribers.