"Isn't it better to give better network and better service then 'per second' billing?" is a question that TataDoCoMo is facing from consumers on Twitter: tweets about the GSM operators (which launched in Kolkata yesterday) quality of service seem to suggest that consumers aren't particularly happy with the network coverage being provided by the operator. Still, the lure of per-second-billing is strong - so strong that MTS (Shyam Sistema) another telecom operator looking to make a mark, has adopted a per-second-billing plan for Delhi called Power of One. MTS Services are available for at 16000 retail outlets across Delhi NCR, according to a release. An operator exec had recently told me that Delhi is an important market for most operators - the presence of services and advertisements in the capital ensure that the brand is visible to and recognizable by government officials. High Speed EVDO Services More interesting than the Delhi, launch, is the nationwide launch of MBlaze, MTS' mobile high speed services. The company claims the biggest high speed data services network in Delhi NCR, for which it claims over 600 BTS. MTS is the third CDMA telecom operator to launch 3G (EVDO) data services - Reliance Communications and Tata Indicom launched theirs in March this year. We feel that the key differentiator for these services, as long as adequate 3G spectrum isn't released, is the quality of their 2G network. It's one thing to give consumers 15-30 kbps in Delhi and Mumbai, but if it goes does to an erratic 3-4…
