ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Imran Siddique who has be en guiding force for

my Project Report on “Customer Perception towards GSM services at Aligarh.”

I am also very thankful to all of my teachers and friends for their support and encouragement in

finding out the appropriate material for this Project Report, without their thankless support and

efforts, making this report would have been impossible for me.

I am also thankful to Mr. Tushar Singh, Head of the Department, Aligarh College of

Engineering and Technology for providing me the required facilities in the department.

Raksha Chaudhary

MBA Final year

PREFACE

The successful completion of this project was a unique experience for me because by visiting many

place and interacting various person ,I achieved a better knowledge about mobile services

providers . The experience which I gained by doing this project was essential at this turning point of

my career this project is being submitted which content detailed analysis of the research under taken

by me.

The research provides an opportunity to the student to devote his/her skills knowledge and

competencies required during the technical session.

The research is on the topic “Customer Perception Towards GSM services providers

(AIRTEL,VODAFONE & IDEA) at Aligarh.”

DECLARATION

I, Miss Raksha chaudhary , a student of ALIGARH COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING &

TECHONOLOGY MANAGEMENT , hereby declare that the project titled ‘Customer Perception

Towards GSM services providers (AIRTEL,VODAFONE & IDEA) at Aligarh’ is an original work

and has not been submitted to any other academic institution for award of any degree or diploma in

full or part by me.

Raksha chaudhary

MBA (Final year)

TABLE OF CONTENT

SERIAL NO . TOPICS

1- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

2- PREFACE

3- DECLARATION

4- INTRODUCTION

4.1- TELECOMMUNICATION

4.2- T.R.A.I

4.3- TELECOM SECTOR IN INDIA

4.4- CLASSIFICATION OF TELECOMMUNICATION SREVICES

4.5- KEY PLAYERS IN INDIA 14

4.6- COMPANIES IN TELECOM SECTOR 16

5- INTRODUCTION TO CDMA 18

5.1- MEANING OF CDMA 19

5.2- HISTORY OF CDMA 20

5.3- CDMA SEGMENT OVERVIEW 23

6- MEANING OF GSM 26

7- COMPARISON OF CDMA & GSM 27

8- COMPANY PROFILE 28

8.1- RELIANCE COMMUNICATION 29

8.2- TATA INDICOM 45

9- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

10- DATA ANALYSIS

11- FINDINGS 78

12- SUGGESTIONS 80

13- LIMITATIONS

14- CONCLUSIONS 84

15- BIBLIOGRAPHY 86

16- QUESTIONNAIRE 88

INTRODUCTION

TELECOMMUNICATION

Telecommunication is one of the fastest growing service industries in the world. While the accent of

growth is one the value added service, such as e-mail, cellular phones etc in the developed countries.

This sector a crucial role in spurring growth, especially industrial and service, in any economy.

Multinational companies are investing in developing countries because of huge latest demand.

Telephone penetration has reached saturation levels in the developed world. Telecommunication

historically has been a state initiated and controlled sector in all countries. The last two decades has

witnessed a restricting of the entire sector across the globe, in terms of privatization and competition.

Opening up of economics and privatization in the developing countries has triggered influx of

foreign capital and technology.

Telecom density is only 2 per 100, which is less than that of China (4.5 per 100) and the world

average (10 per 100). Cellular penetration is also low at 0.1% compared to China (1.1%) and

Malaysia (2%). To improve penetration will imply an investment of over Rs. 600 billion in next 5

years.

The industry had received the Telecom Policy of 1994 with enthusiasm. It was hoped that this would

usher in a new era in the telecom Sector. Unfortunately, delays in implementation and resulting

confusion have derailed the same. The initial enthusiastic responses to building have given way to

litigation and subsequent delays. Out of the 22 circles made available to the private sector for basic

telecom service, only 2 are operational after 5 years.

Despite all the delays, India has managed to take steps towards privatization and introduction of

competition in basic telecom services. The government has announced a new telecom policy, which

clarifies the future role of Department of Telecommunication. The new ISP policy will promote the

use of internet. All this aims to promote investment in the telecom sector. The sector will undergo a

dramatic transformation in the next 3-5 years.

The building process was also adversely affected by Himachal futuristic which submitted bids of Rs.

850 Bn for 9 licenses leading in an impasse. The solution formulated by the policy makers to copies

number of licenses per company ostensibly, to avoid competition also led to confusion. The bids

were made on optimistic demand estimates, which have not yet materialized. This has resulted in

most of the companies facing cash losses. Most of the Indian partners do not have the strength to

withstand long genestations and selling out to their foreign collaborators. The new telecom policy

has addressed this issue also.

A number of MNCs set up joint ventures for manufacture of telecom equipment in the last 3 years.

The capacity builds up outstripped demand from the service providers. Due to resource crunch, DOT

(the dominant single buyer) delayed placing orders. This resulted in an adverse impact on the

bottom-line. A shake out local players (including some PSUs) who are technologically not

competitive is bound to happen.

TRAI (TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA)

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI (established 1997) is the independent regulator

established by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India. The

TRAI, which draws regulatory power from the TRAI Act of 1997 (Amended 2000), is responsible

for:

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Telegraph Act,1885,the functions of the Authority

shall be to-

(a) Make recommendations, on a request from the licensor, on the following matters, namely:

(i) need and timing for introduction of new service provider;

(ii) terms and conditions of license to a service provider;

(iii) revocation of license for non-compliance of terms and conditions of license:

(iv)measures to facilitate competition and promote efficiency in the operation of telecommunication

services so as to facilitate growth in such services.

(v) technological improvements in the services provided by the service providers.

(vi) type of equipment to be used by the service providers after inspection of equipment used in the

network.

(vii)measures for the development of telecommunication technology and any other matter relatable

to telecommunication industry in general;

(viii) efficient management of available spectrum;

(b) Discharge the following functions, namely:-

(i) ensure compliance of terms and conditions of license;

(ii) notwithstanding anything contained in the terms and conditions of the license granted before the

commencement of the Telecom Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance,2000, fix the

terms and conditions of inter-connectivity between the service providers;

(iii) ensure technical compatibility and effective inter-connection between different service

providers.

(iv) regulate arrangement amongst service providers of sharing their revenue derived from providing

telecommunication services;

(v) lay down the standards of quality of service to be provided by the service providers and ensure he

quality of service and conduct the periodical survey of such service provided by the service

providers so as to protect interest of the consumers of telecommunication services;

(vi) lay down and ensure the time period for providing local and long distance circuits of

telecommunication between different service providers;

(vii) maintain register of interconnect agreements and of all such other matters as may be provided in

the regulations;

(viii) keep register maintained under clause (viii) open for inspection to any member of public on

payment of such fee and compliance of such other requirement as may be provided in the

regulations;

(ix) ensure effective compliance of universal service obligations;

TELECOM SECTOR IN INDIA

More than 125 million telephone network is one of the largest communication networks in world,

which continues to grow at a blistering pace.

The rapid growth in the telecom sector can be attributed to the various pro-active and positive policy

measures taken by the government as well as the dynamic and entrepreneurial spirit of the various

telecom service providers both in private and public sector. The telecom sector has shown

impressive growth during the past decade.

Two striking features of this growth viz. increasing preference for mobile phones and higher

contribution of private sector in the incremental growth have predominated the telecom sector. The

share of mobile phones (including WLL mobile) has overtaken the share of landlines with 62% in

the total number of phones. The private sector's contribution is also increasing rapidly. Currently

more than 30 lakh phones are being added each month and it is targeted that by the end of 2008 the

total number of phones may reach a level of 350 million taking the tele-density to more than 30%

which is currently at 24.63%.

Network Expansion: The total number of telephone subscribers has reached 281.62 million at the

end of January 2008 as compared to 232.87 million in July 2007. The overall teledensity has

increased to 23.63% in January 2008 as compared to 21.20% in August 2007.

Wireless Service: The wireless segment saw a surge of 8.77 million subscribers last month

compared to 8.17 million in December2007. This pushed the total wireless subscriber’s base to

242.40 million by Jan 31 2008.

Wire line Subscribers: The wireline segment subscriber base stood at 39.73 million with a decrease

of 0.16 million at the end of January 2008.

Teledensity: The gross subscriber base reached 206.83 million at the end of March 2007. The

teledensity is 24.63%at the end of January 2008 as compared to 18.31% at the end of March 2007,

registering an increase of 6%.

Increasing Role of Private Sector: The private sector has played a significant role in the growth of

telecom sector. The share of private sector has risen to 85 per cent in December 2007 from 64.14 per

cent in November 2006.

Tariff Rebalancing Measures: There has been a dramatic fall in the tariffs due to increased

competition. The minimum effective charges for local calls have fallen considerably in recent

months especially for cellular service. The long distance domestic as well as international charges

have also fallen considerably.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): TRAI was established under the Telecom

Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 enacted on March 28, 1997. The goals and objectives of

TRAI are focused towards providing a regulatory framework that facilitates achievement of the

objectives of New Technology Policy (NTP) 1999. TRAI has endeavored to encourage greater

corporation in the telecom sector together with better quality and affordable prices.

Telecommunication sector in India can be divided into two segments: Fixed Service Provider

(FSPs), and Cellular Services. Fixed line services consist of basic services, national or domestic long

distance and international long distance services. The state operators (BSNL and MTNL), account

for almost 90 per cent of revenues from basic services. Private sector services are presently available

in selective urban areas, and collectively account for less than 5 per cent of subscriptions. However,

private services focus on the business/corporate sector, and offer reliable, high- end services, such as

leased lines, ISDN, closed user group and videoconferencing.

Cellular services can be further divided into two categories: Global System for Mobile

Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The GSM sector is

dominated by Airtel, Vodfone-Hutch, BSNL and Spice-Idea Cellular, while the CDMA sector is

dominated by Reliance and Tata Indicom. Opening up of international and domestic long distance

telephony services are the major growth drivers for cellular industry. Cellular operators get

substantial revenue from these services, and compensate them for reduction in tariffs on airtime,

which along with rental was the main source of revenue. The reduction in tariffs for airtime, national

long distance, international long distance, and handset prices has driven demand.

CLASSIFICATION OF TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

1. Basic services

2. Cellular services

3. Internet Service Provider (ISP)

CELLULAR SERVICE

There are five private service operators in each area, and an incumbent state operator.

Almost 80% of the cellular subscriber base belongs to the pre-paid segment.

The DOT has allowed cellular companies to buy rivals within the same operating circle

provided their combined market share did not exceed 67 per cent. Previously, they were

only allowed to buy companies outside their circle.

Growth Drivers

Opening up of international and domestic long distance telephony services are growth

drivers in the industry. Cellular operators now get substantial revenue from these

services, and compensate them for reduction in tariffs on air time, which along with

rental was the main source of revenue. The reduction in tariffs for airtime, national long

distance, international long distance, and handset prices has driven demand.

THE KEY PLAYERS IN THE TELECOM MARKET IN INDIA

Cellular Service provider:

Airtel

Vodafone

BSNL

Spice/Idea

Reliance

Tata indicom

Aircel

MTNL

Subscribers

Wireless subscribers crosses 200 million

mark

Tele density reaches 21.20%

India has become the second largest wireless

network given the exceptional growth in Mobile subscribers in India.

According to latest release by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory authority of India), the total wireless

subscribers base stood at 261.09 million at the end of March 2008, compared to 255 million

subscribers in U.S. A total of 10.16 million wireless subscribers have been added in the month of

March 2008 as against 8.53 million wireless subscribers added in the month of February 2008.

Another landmark that March saw was reaching a total telephone connections to 300 million

(wireline+wireless). The overall tele-density is pegged at 26.22% at the end of March 2008 as

against 25.31% in February 2008.

The total number of telephone subscribers has reached 241.02 million at the end of August 2007 as

compared to 232.87 million in July 2007. The overall teledensity has increased to 21.20% in August

2007 as compared to 20.52% in July 2007.

In the wireless segment, 8.31 million subscribers have been added in August 2007 while 8.06 million

subscribers were added in July 2007. The total wireless subscribers (GSM, CDMA & WLL (F)) base

reaches 201.29 million at the end of August 2007

BSNL MTNL GSM CDMA

Fixed Service Provider Cellular Services

TELECOMMUNICATIONN SECTOR

Companies in Telecom Sector

Aircel

Airtel

Bsnl

Idea

Reliance

Tata Indicom

Virgin Mobile

Introduction

To

GSM

(Global System for Mobile)

Meaning of G.S.M

(Global System for Mobile)

The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM: originally from Grouped

Special Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world.

GSM service is used by over 2 billion people across more than 212 countries and

territories.[1] [2] the ubiquity of the GSM standard makes international roaming

very common between mobile phone operators, enabling subscribers to use their

phones in many parts of the world. GSM differs significantly from its

predecessors in that both signaling and speech channels are Digital call quality,

which means that it is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone

system. This fact has also meant that data communication was built into the

system from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

History of GSM

The development and success of GSM has been an outstanding example of international enterprises

in action. Below you will find a brief history of GSM, describing how it all comes about and how the

Association was born, has grown and evolved. We also include the many people who contribute to

the association’s tremendous growth and highlight the major achievements and milestones along the

way. This history is complete from 1987 through 1997, a further update will be available in due

courses.

The ultimate out come of the battle for dominance between these two competing cellular data

transmission technologies may lie more in their history then their respective merits ton understands

the current prevalence of GSM, one need of a foundation in the forces that converged to push one

technology ahead of their other.

One of the most contentions battles being waged in the wireless infrastructure industry is the debate

over the efficient use and allocation of finite airwaves. For several year, the word’s two methods –

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) –

have divided the wireless world into opposing camps Ultimately, the emergence of a

CDMA is relatively new, and the network is not as mature as GSM.

CDMA cannot offer antinational roaming, a large GSM advantage.

The Euro-Asian alternative: GSM

Analyst consider Qualcomm’s major competitive disadvantage to be its lack of access to the

European market now controlled by global system for mobile communications (GSM). The wireless

world is now divided into GSM ( much of western Europe ) and CDMA ( north America and parts of

Asia ).

Bad timings may have prevented the evolution of one, single global wireless standard. Just two years

before CDMA’s 1995 introduction in Hong Kong, European carriers and manufacturers chose to

support the first available digital technology – Time division multiple access (TDMA). GSM uses

TDMA as its core technology. Therefore, since the majority of wireless users are in Europe and

Asia, GSM has taken the worldwide lead as the technology of choice.

Mobile handset manufacturers ultimately split into two camps, as Motorola, lucent and Nextel chose

CDMA, and Nokia and Ericsson eventually pushed these companies out and dominant GSM players.

Advantages of GSM:

GSM is already used worldwide with over 450 million subscribers.

International roaming permits subscribers to use one phone throughout Western Europe.

CDMA will work in Asia, but not France, Germany, the U.K. and other popular European

destinations.

GSM is mature, having started in the mid-80s. This maturity means a more stable network

with robust features. CDMA is still building its network.

GSM’s maturity means engineers cut their teeth on the technology, creating an unconscious

preference.

The availability of subscriber identity modules, which are smart card that provide secure

data encryption give GSM m-commerce advantages.

GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE (GSM) TELEPHONY SOME SALIENT FEATURES:

GSM has the highest cellular mobile subscriber base, worldwide (76%) crossed one billion in

Feb. 2004. one billion of the worlds 1.5 billion of mobile phones are of the GSM system (fixed

phones world-wide are 1.2 billion). GSM services are available in 206 countries with a total of

616 GSM networks.

In India, we have 73 GSM networks in 2000 stations with 26-million subscriber base (by 2005,

total mobile connections are likely to exceed total fixed line connections in India). A total of 360

billion short message services (SMS) messages were sent through GSM networks in the year

2002.

Advantages of GSM

GSM is mature; this maturity means a more stable network with robust features.

Less signal deterioration inside buildings.

Ability to use repeaters.

Talktime is generally higher in GSM phones due to the pulse nature of transmission.

The availability of Subscriber Identity Modules allows users to switch networks and handsets at will.

GSM covers virtually all parts of the world so international roaming is not a problem.

The much bigger number of subscribers globally creates a better network effect for GSM handset makers, carriers and end users.

Tools for unlocking GSM phones are widely available. Meaning it is easier to keep the same phone and go with another carrier using the same technology.

GSM Overall Efficiency

For Subscriber For operators

Low cost Entry Handset

Wide Choice and availability of handset

Internal Roaming

Easy Subscription

Economies of scale due to dominant market share in India

Choice of multiple vendors

Capex optimization

Lower subscriber acquisition cost

Seamless interoperability

GSM Growth In India

The subscriber growth saw a phenomenal increase from 2002 onwards. This was

Mainly due to lowered call tariffs and full-scale implementation of SMS services all over India.

December 2002, where India touched the 10 million mark could be

Defined as a milestone for Indian wireless industry.

Subscriber growth continued from 2002-03 and there were close to 22 million

Subscribers as of December 2003.

Two main elements for this phenomenal growth are 1. Lowered call tariffs & 2.

Free incoming calls Consumers who were once reluctant to subscribe to mobile subscriptions

founded feasible and convenient to avail as now there was hardly any difference between the

monthly bills compared to fixed line, and mobility was definitely a crucial element.

The above phenomena in India is taking shape because of the presence of huge

Middle class population. On an estimate there are some 300 to 350 million people belonging to this

group in India. Unlike a car or a television set (where one is enough in the family) with the lowered

call tariffs it became possible even for family members to own a mobile phone each.

Meaning of C.D.M.A

(Code division multiple access)

Code division multiple access (CDMA) is a form of multiplexing and a method of

multiple access that divides up a radio channel not by time, nor by frequency

(as in frequency-division multiple access), but

instead by using different pseudo-random code sequences for each user. CDMA

is a form of "spread-spectrum" signaling, since the modulated coded signal has a

much higher bandwidth than the data being communicated.

CDMA also refers to digital cellular telephony systems that make use of this

multiple access scheme, such as those pioneered by Qualcomm, and W-CDMA

by the International Telecommunication Union or ITU.

CDMA has been used in many communications and navigation systems,

including the Global Positioning System and in the OmniTRACS satellite system

for transportation logistics.

Comparison:

Properties GSM CDMA

Method of multiple Access

SDMAFDMATDMA

SDMACDMA

Interference/Voice Clarity

More Interference because of frequency sharing. So lesser clarity.

Less Interference. This result in better voice clarity

Security Lesser secure More secure transmission because of code word used.

Availability Available in most of countries. So better coverage.

Limited coverage.

Deployment and operational cost

More Lesser because of fewer cell site

Hand over Hard and soft handover both are possible but usually call is lost.

Soft handover, resulting in better call handling while mobile is moving

Noise Immunity Lesser Immune More ImmuneTransmission power Require more power Require lesser powerData Transfer speed Lesser in comparison to CDMA Better speedLatest Technology EDGE having potential of

providing better transfer speed than earlier CDMA but has comparable speed to WCDMA

WCDMA

COMPANY

PROFILE

AIRTEL

Type Public, Listed on BSE

Founded 1985

Headquarters New Delhi, India

Key people Sunil Mittal

Industry Telecom

Products Mobile and Fixed-Line Telecommunication operator

Revenue $6 Billion

Slogan Express Yourself

Website www.airtel.in

Bharti Airtel, formerly known as Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited (BTVL) is India's largest cellular

service provider with more than 75 million subscribers as of August 2008.It also offers fixed line

services and broadband services. It offers its TELECOM services under the Airtel brand and is

headed by Sunil Mittal. The company also provides telephone services and Internet access over DSL

in 14 circles. The company complements its mobile, broadband & telephone services with national

and international long distance services. The company also has a submarine cable landing station at

Chennai, which connects the submarine cable connecting Chennai and Singapore. The company

provides end-to-end data and enterprise services to the corporate customers through its nationwide

fiber optic backbone, last mile connectivity in fixed-line and mobile circles, VSATs, ISP and

international bandwidth access through the gateways and landing station.

Bharti Enterprises has successfully focused its strategy on telecom while straddling diverse fields of

business. From the creation of 'Airtel', one of India's finest brands, to becoming the largest

manufacturer and exporter of world class telecom terminals under its 'Beetel' brand, Bharti has

created a significant position for itself in the global telecommunications sector. Bharti Airtel Limited

is today acknowledged as one of India's finest companies, and its flagship brand 'Airtel', has over 24

million customers across the length and breadth of India.

While a joint venture with TeleTech Inc., USA marked Bharti’s successful foray into the Customer

Management Services business, Bharti Enterprises’ dynamic diversification has continued with the

company venturing into telecom software development. Recently, Bharti has successfully launched

an international venture with EL Rothschild Group owned ELRO Holdings India Ltd., to export

fresh Agri products exclusively to markets in Europe and USA.

Companies of Airtel

A brief introduction to each of its companies is given below:

1. Bharti Airtel Ltd

Bharti Airtel Ltd is India's leading provider of telecommunications services. The company has 4

distinct Business divisions - Mobile & telephone services, broadband services, long distance services

and enterprise services.

2. Bharti TeleTech Ltd

Bharti TeleTech Ltd manufactures and exports world-class telecom equipment under the brand

'Beetel'

3. Telecom Seychelles Ltd

Telecom Seychelles Ltd provides telecom services in Seychelles, under the brand 'Airtel'

4. Bharti Telesoft Ltd

Bharti Telesoft Ltd delivers best-in-class, revenue-critical VAS products and services to telecom

carriers.

5. TeleTech Services (India) Ltd

TeleTech Services (India) Ltd is joint venture with TeleTech Inc., USA. It offers a range of

Customer Management Services.

6. FieldFresh Foods Pvt Ltd

FieldFresh Foods Pvt Ltd is Bharti's venture with EL Rothschild Group owned ELRO Holdings

India Ltd., to export fresh Agri products exclusively to markets in Europe and USA.

Airtel is a brand of telecommunication services in India operated by Bharti Airtel.

Airtel is the largest cellular service provider in India in terms of number of subscribers. Bharti Airtel

owns the Airtel brand and provides the following services under the brand name Airtel: Mobile

Services (using GSM Technology), Broadband & Telephone Services (Fixed line, Internet

Connectivity(DSL) and Leased Line), Long Distance Services and Enterprise Services

(Telecommunications Consulting for corporates). It has presence in all 23 circles of the country and

covers 71% of the current population.

Leading international telecommunication companies such as Vodafone and SingTel held partial

stakes in Bharti Airtel.

In March 2008, Bharti Airtel will roll out third generation services in Sri Lanka in association with

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singtel" \o "Singtel" Singtel. This is because Singapore-

based Asian telecom major Singtel, which owns a little over 30% in Bharti Airtel, is a major player

in the 3G space as it has already third generation networks in several markets across Asia

The Company Bharti Airtel is in India the biggest integrated and also the 1 st telephone service

provider in the private sector, which has footprint in around 23 telecom circles. Bharti Airtel Limited

has been since its very beginning using the latest technology and thus the company has paved the

way for the telecom sector in India with its world-class services and products.

This has helped Bharti Airtel Company to grow for the number of its customers has increased very

rapidly over the years. The company has around 5o million customers in 2007 and its market share

of mobile subscribers in India is at 23.4%.

The company Bharti Airtel Limited's total revenue amounted to Rs.12, 242 crore in 2006- 2007 and

the net profit stood at Rs.3, 126 crore. The Company Bharti Airtel is divided into 3 business units

that are:

Broadband & Telephone (B&T) services

Enterprise services

Mobile services

Among the various services that the Bharti Airtel Limited Company provides to its customers, the

services of broadband and telephone (B&T) are 1 of them. The company provides broadband

Internet services of high speed for it has the best network in India. The company Bharti Airtel also

provides telephone services in around 94 cities of the country and this helps the people to stay

connected with one another. The company plans to expand its broadband and telephone services by

providing IPTV services and DTH operations.

Further Bharti Airtel provides enterprise services to its customers. The services of enterprise provide

telecom end-to-end solutions to customers who belong to the corporate sector and also long distance

services to international and national carriers. The company Bharti Airtel has more than 35,016

kilometers of optic fiber, a submarine landing station, and is also a member of South East Asia-

Middle East- Western Europe- 4. All this has helped the company to provide the best enterprise

services to its customers. The company Bharti Airtel Limited plans to expand its enterprise services

so that it can achieve the status of a global carrier within a period of 2- 3 years.

Awards and Recognition

Wireless service provider of the year 2005 at the Frost and Sulivan Asia-Pacific ICT awards

Competitive service provider of the year 2005 at the Frost and Sulivan Asia-Pacific ICT

awards

Bharti Airtel added the highest ever net addition of 5.3 million customers in a single quarter

(Q4-FY0607) and also the highest ever net addition of 18 million total subscribers in 2006-07

The company will invest up to $3.5 billion this fiscal (07-08) in network expansion.

It has an installed base of 40,000 cellsites and 59% population coverage

After the proposed network expansion, an additional 30,000 towers will result in the

company achieving 70% population coverage

Bharti has over 39 million users as on March 31, 2007

It has set a target of 125 million subscribers by 2010

Prepaid customers account for 88.5% of Bharti’s total subscriber base, an increase from

82.7% a year ago

ARPU has dropped to Rs 406

Non-voice revenues, (SMS, voice mail, call management, hello tunes and Airtel Live)

constituted 10% of total revenues during Q4, lower than 10.7% in the Q4 of the previous year

Blended monthly minutes of usage per customer in Q4 was at 475 minutes

Has completed 100% verification of its subscribers and in the process disconnected three

lakh subscribers

Market News

Market Capitalisation

Approx. Rs. 1,670 billion Closing BSE share price = Rs. 880.75

Sales :              02.62 Billion $

Profits :             00.46 Billion $

Assets :             04.46 Billion $

Market Value :  41 Billion $

On February 12, 2007 Vodafone sold its 5.6% stake in AirTel back to AirTel for US $1.6 billion;

and purchased a controlling stake in rival Hutchison Essar.

VODAFONE

Founded 1983 as Racal Telecom, independent 1991

Headquarters Newbury, England, UK

Key peopleArun Sarin, CEOSir John Bond, ChairmanJohn Buchanan, Deputy ChairmanAndy Halford, CFO

Industry Mobile telecommunications

Products Mobile networks, Telecom services, Etc.

Revenue ▲ £31.104 billion GBP (2007)

Net income ▼ £-1.564 billion GBP (2007)

Slogan Make the most of now (in many countries, their

previous slogan, How are you?, is still used)

Website www.vodafone.com

Vodafone is a mobile network operator headquartered in Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK. It is the

largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover and has a market

value of about £100 billion (December 2007). Vodafone currently has equity interests in 25

countries and Partner Networks (networks in which it has no equity stake) in a further 39 countries.

The name Vodafone comes from Voice data fone, chosen by the company to "reflect the provision of

voice and data services over mobile phones."

At 31 January 2007 Vodafone had 200 million proportionate customers in 25 markets across 5

continents. ("Proportionate customers" means, for example, that if Vodafone has a 30% stake in a

business with a million customers, that is counted as 300,000). On this measure it is the second

largest mobile telecom group in the world behind China Mobile. The eight markets where it has

more than ten million proportionate customers are the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Italy,

Spain, Turkey, Egypt and the United States. In the U.S., these customers come via its minority stake

in Verizon Wireless, and in the other seven markets Vodafone has majority-controlled subsidiaries.

On 30 May 2006, the company announced a loss before tax of £14.9 billion for 2005, the biggest

loss in British corporate history. The loss for the year from continuing operations was £17.2 billion

and the bottom line loss for the financial year was £21.8 billion. The company was pushed into loss

by impairment charges of £23.5 billion, which related to the acquisition of Mannesmann several

years earlier, and losses of £4.6 billion in relation to its discontinued business in Japan. At an

operating level it remained highly profitable, with an operating profit on continuing operations of

£9.4 billion before impairment costs.

Vodafone’s original logo was used until the introduction of the speech mark logo in 1998.

In 1982 Racal Electronics plc's subsidiary Racal Strategic Radio Ltd. won one of two UK cellular

telephone network licenses. The network, known as Racal Vodafone was 80% owned by Racal, with

Millicom and the Hambros Technology Trust owning 15% and 5% respectively. Vodafone was

launched on 1 January 1985. Racal Strategic Radio was renamed Racal Telecommunications Group

Limited in 1985. On 29 December 1986 Racal Electronics bought out the minority shareholders of

Vodafone for GB£110 million.

In September 1988 the company was again renamed Racal Telecom and on 26 October 1988 Racal

Electronics floated 20% of the company. The flotation valued Racal Telecom at GB£1.7 billion. On

16 September 1991 Racal Telecom was demerged from Racal Electronics as Vodafone Group.

In July 1996 Vodafone acquired the two thirds of Talkland it did not already own for £30.6 million.

On 19 November 1996, in a defensive move, Vodafone purchased Peoples Phone for £77 million, a

181 store chain whose customers were overwhelmingly using Vodafone's network. In a similar move

the company acquired the 80% of Astec Communications that it did not own, a service provider with

21 stores.

In 1997 Vodafone introduced its Speechmark logo, as it is a quotation mark in a circle; the O's in the

Vodafone logotype are opening and closing quotation marks, suggesting conversation.

On 29 June 1999 Vodafone completed its purchase of AirTouch Communications, Inc. and changed

its name to Vodafone airtouch plc. Trading of the new company commenced on 30 June 1999. To

approve the merger, Vodafone sold its 17.2% stake in E-Plus Mobilefunk. The acquisition gave

Vodafone a 35% share of Mannesmann, owner of the largest German mobile network.

On 21 September 1999 Vodafone agreed to merge its U.S. wireless assets with those of Bell Atlantic

Corp to form Verizon Wireless. The merger was completed on 4 April 2000.

In November 1999 Vodafone made an unsolicited bid for Mannesmann, which was rejected.

Vodafone’s interest in Mannesmann had been increased by the latter's purchase of Orange, the UK

mobile operator. Chris Gent would later say Mannesmann's move into the UK broke a "gentleman's

agreement" not to compete in each other's home territory. The hostile takeover provoked strong

protest in Germany and a "titanic struggle" which saw Mannesmann resists Vodafone’s efforts.

However on 3 February 2000 the Mannesmann board agreed to an increased offer of £112bn, then

the largest corporate merger ever. The EU approved the merger in April 2000. The conglomerate

was subsequently broken up and all manufacturing related operations sold off.

Hutch Becomes Vodafone

In one of the biggest brand transition exercises in recent times, Hutch, India’s fourth-largest mobile

service provider will be renamed Vodafone. Vodafone is spending somewhere in the region of Rs

250 crore on this high-profile transition.

Vodafone has acquired 67 per cent in Hutchison Essar from Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa,

and completed the acquisition of Hutchison Essar in May 2007. The brand change that will touch 3.5

crore customers and four lakh shops and employees will be executed through a media blitz and the

pug, which had become famous with its network advertisement, will remain.

''This marks a significant chapter in the evolution of Vodafone as a dynamic and ever-growing

brand. The brand change over the next few weeks will be unveiled nationally through a high profile

campaign covering all important media,'' a news agency quoted the company statement as saying.

Leading broadcaster Star India has entered into an exclusive deal with Vodafone Essar for the latter's

re-branding campaign to Vodafone from Hutch.

Financial Results

From its 31 March 2006 year end onwards Vodafone will report its results in accordance with

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). It has issued results amended to IFRS standards

for its 31 March 2004 and 31 March 2005 year ends for information purposes, and these are shown

in the first table below.

Vodafone has some large minority stakes, which are not included in its consolidated turnover. In

order to provide additional information on the overall scale and growth trends of its business it

publishes "proportionate turnover" figures and these are included in the tables below. For example, if

a business in which it owns a 45% stake has turnover of £10 billion that equals £4.5 billion of

proportionate turnover for Vodafone. Proportionate turnover is not an official accounting measure

and Vodafone’s proportionate turnover should be compared with other companies' statutory

turnover.

Vodafone also produces proportionate customer number figures on a similar basis, eg. if an operator

in which it has a 30% stake has 10 million customers that equals 3 million proportionate Vodafone

customers. This is a common practice in the mobile telecommunications industry

Losses for year to 31 March 2006 reflect write downs of assets, principally in relation to the

Mannesmann acquisition. Proportionate turnover includes £7,100 million from discontinued

operations.

Growth of Hutchison Essar (1992-2005):

In 1992 Hutchison Whampoa and its Indian business partner established a company that in 1994 was

awarded a licence to provide mobile telecommunications services in Mumbai (formerly Bombay)

and launched commercial service as Hutchison Max in November 1995. Analjit Singh of Max still

holds 12% in company.

By the time of Hutchison Telecom's Initial Public Offering in 2004, Hutchison Whampoa had

acquired interests in six mobile telecommunications operators providing service in 13 of India's 23

licence areas and following the completion of the acquisition of BPL that number increased to 16. In

2006, it announced the acquisition of a company that held licence applications for the seven

remaining licence areas.

In a country growing as fast as India, a strategic and well managed business plan is critical to

success. Initially, the company grew its business in the largest wireless markets in India - in cities

like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. In these densely populated urban areas it was able to establish a

robust network, well known brand and large distribution network -all vital to long-term success in

India. Then it also targeted business users and high-end post-paid customers which helped Hutchison

Essar to consistently generate a higher Average Revenue Per User ("ARPU") than its competitors.

By adopting this focused growth plan, it was able to establish leading positions in India's largest

markets providing the resources to expand its footprint nationwide.

In February 2007, Hutchison Telecom announced that it had entered into a binding agreement with a

subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc to sell its 67% direct and indirect equity and loan interests in

Hutchison Essar Limited for a total cash consideration (before costs, expenses and interests) of

approximately US$11.1 billion or HK$87 billion.

1992: Hutchison Whampoa and Max Group established Hutchison Max

2000: Acquisition of Delhi operations Entered Calcutta and Gujarat markets through ESSAR

acquisition

2001: Won auction for licences to operate GSM services in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Chennai

2003: Acquired AirCel Digilink (ADIL - Essar Subsidiary) which operated in Rajastan, Uttar

Pradesh East and Haryana telecom circles and renamed it under Hutch brand

2004: Launched in three additional telecom circles of India namely 'Punjab', 'Uttar Pradesh West'

and 'West Bengal'

2005: Acquired BPL, another mobile service provider in India

2008: Vodafone acquired Dishnet Wireless, a service provider in Orissa and has successfully

launched its services in the following circle.

2008: Vodafone launched the Apple iPhone 3G to be used on its 17 circle 2G network.

Hutch was often praised for its award winning advertisements which all follow a clean, minimalist

look. A recurrent theme is that its message Hello stands out visibly though it uses only white letters

on red background. Another recent successful ad campaign in 2003 featured a pug named Cheeka

following a boy around in unlikely places, with the tagline, Wherever you go, our network follows.

The simple yet powerful advertisement campaigns won it many admirers.

SPICE/IDEA

TypeSpice: Public, Listed on BSE

Idea: Subsidiary

FoundedSpice: 1997

Idea: 1995

HeadquartersSpice: Mohali, India

Idea: Indore, Delhi, Pune, India

Key peopleSpice: Dilip Modi

Idea: Chairman: Kumar Mangalam Birla ; MD: Sanjeev Aga

Industry Telecom

Products Mobile operator

Revenuehttp://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/idea-

cellulars-revenue479-/394751

Slogan

Spice: Spice Hai toh life hai (If there's Spice then there's

Life.)

Idea: An !dea can change your life.

Website Spice: Spice Telecom ; Idea: www.ideacellular.com

Introduction to Spice

One of the service providers of mobile telephony in India Spice Telecom, is the brand name of Spice

Communications Limited.Spice Telecom is presently operating in the states of Punjab and Karnataka

i.e. in 2 circles of 23 Telecom Circles of India. Spice Communications Limited has been promoted

by Dilip Modi of Modi Wellvest Private Limited .

40.80% of the company is owned by Modi Wellvest; Modi is promoted by Mr. Dilip Modi and

Super Infosys. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) owns 39.20% through TMI India Limited,

Mauritius. TMI India Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of TM's international investment

holding company TM International Sdn Bhd (TMI).

Spice Telecom is a flagship company of MCorp Global (www.mcorpglobal.com) a cellular mobile

telephone services provider in India.

Introduction to Idea

IDEA Cellular is a publicly listed company, having listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE and

the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in March 2007.

Idea Cellular is a leading GSM mobile service operator with pan India licenses. With a customer

base of over 36 million in 15 service areas, operations are soon expected to start in Orissa and Tamil

Nadu-the first steps in providing pan India services covering over 90% of India's telephony potential.

A frontrunner in introducing revolutionary tariff plans, IDEA Cellular has the distinction of offering

the most customer friendly and competitive Pre Paid offerings, for the first time in India in an

increasingly segmented market.

Customer Service and Innovation are the drivers of this Cellular Brand. A brand known for many

firsts, Idea was the first to launch GPRS and EDGE in the country. Idea has received international

recognition for its path-breaking innovations when it won the GSM Association Award for "Best

Billing and Customer Care Solution" for 2 consecutive years.

IDEA Cellular is part of the Aditya Birla Group, India's first truly multinational corporation. The

group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 100,000 employees belonging to 25

nationalities. The Group has been adjudged 'The Best Employer in India and among the Top 20 in

Asia' by the Hewitt-Economic Times and Wall Street Journal Study 2007.

Idea acquires Spice Telecom

Idea Cellular, an Aditya Birla Group company, along with Telecom Malaysia International (TMI)

announced the acquisition of 40.8 per cent stake in Spice Communications Limited (Spice) at a price

of Rs. 77.30 per share. TMI is an emerging leader in Asian telecommunications with over 44 million

subscribers and a presence in 10 countries. The operational synergies emerging out of this merger

would augur well for both the telecom players.

The acquisition of Spice gives Idea the much needed headway in Punjab and Karnataka states that

account for more than 10 per cent of India’s wireless subscribers.

The entire process of the merger between both the companies would take six to eight months to

complete. Post merger, Idea is looking at a pan-India presence. The deal also gives Idea the

opportunity to leverage.

Idea Cellular, the leading GSM mobile services operator has licenses to operate in all 22 service

areas of India with commercial operations in 11 service areas. With a customer base of over 26

million, it runs operations in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (East),

Uttar Pradesh (West) & Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra & Goa,

Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, holds spectrum for Mumbai, Bihar, Orissa, Tamil Nadu (including

Chennai), and Karnataka, and licenses for the remaining six service areas.

With the planned launch of services in Mumbai, Bihar and Jharkhand, Orissa and Tamil Nadu

(including Chennai) towards the end of the calendar year, Idea's footprint will soon cover

approximately 90 per cent of India's telephony potential.

Idea has acquired Spice Telecom and the deal consists of 4 transactions:

Idea will acquire the Modi’s 40.8% stake in Spice (for Rs 2,720 crore).

Idea will launch the mandatory 20% open offer for the Spice shareholders, jointly with

Telecom Malaysia International (TMI).

Idea will merge Spice with itself and offer a 14.99% stake to TMI through a preferential

allotment.

The Idea-TM combine will launch the open offer at Rs 77.30 jointly with TMI, which now

holds 39.2%in Spice

The official brand name has been changed from Spice to Idea in these circles w.e.f. 19th December

2008.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Previous research in British telecom industry has often quoted price, quality, and service as the main

factors considered in the purchasing decision of buyers from competing suppliers (Financial Times,

1966; Buckner, 1967; McBeth et al., 1972). In this research, an effort is made to simplify the part

of service as a competitive strategy by using a variety of forces which drives an industry in the

direction of competition based on the support from some sources suggesting that the service scope is

now essential for every business.

What business strategy is all about is, in a word, competitive advantage… The sole purpose of

strategic planning is to enable a company to gain, as efficiently as possible, a sustainable edge over

its competitors. Corporate strategy thus applies an attempt to alter a company’s strength relative to

that of its competitors in the most efficient way.

For decades, companies relied on push marketing to sell their products and services. Then in the

1990s, the emphasis shifted to relationship marketing, as “customer care” and slogans like “delight

your customers” became the mantra of many marketers. But those tactics have been loosing their

effectiveness, innovative companies are now trying a different approach: they are providing

customer with open, honest, and complete information (Glen L. Urban, 1984). To exist and flourish

in the today’s competitive market a company needs to have a basis of competitive advantage. The

search for and nourishment of such advantage may be found in superior products that customer

value, by effective cost or differentiation strategies or financial aptitude

Customer satisfaction and service quality should be entrenched within the chapter principles of a

business. This value enables an organisation to distribute the services to the client in a strategic and

an incorporated approach, and in a sustainable manner. Over the past decade, the nation has moved

into a service economy, and organizations everywhere are becoming customer focused and customer

driven.

However since customer satisfaction has become a significant determinant as an element of

assessing an organization performance. It was first found in Sweden in 1992, with the establishment

of the Swedish customer satisfaction index. Other developments have taken place in Germany, USA,

UK, and gradually world wide awareness has been shown.

Customer service is a gradually becoming more and more significant focuses for administration

attention, since it generates wealth for the company by adding together at the same time value for the

customers (Christopher, 1992; LaLonde et al., 1994). Firms are now aware of the need to preserve

their existing customer and to create customer loyalty but first there is a need to make a clear

terminology. Customer may be loyal because of the absence of substitutes, or due to of some

incentives but, given real and more numerous competitive alternatives; loyal customers are best

achieving by delivering customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction can be measured but it is not a

management activity. Rather, it is a measure of customer awareness to marketing stimuli in a known

competitive environment. Customer service can be defined as a seller-initiated attempt which has

value for the buyers, therefore growing customer satisfaction and encouraging patronage and loyalty.

This definition has been reflected in the literature as customer service has changed from an action to

a procedure and business beliefs (Bill Donaldson, 1995).

In most businesses, some firms are more profitable than others, in spite of whether the standard

productivity of the industry is high or low. These distinctive expertise and assets (resources) are

referred to as source of competitive advantage. Competitive advantage results either from applying a

value-creating strategy not at the same time being applied by any present or prospective competitors

(Barney, 1996; Barney et al., 1997) or through better implementation of the similar strategy as of

competitors. Sustainability is accomplish when the advantage resists erosion by competitor

behavior .A competitive advantage can come into effect either from presenting greater value or

``out-executing’’ major competitors .A competitive advantage is constantly achieved when other

firms are unable to copy the benefits of this strategy. Because of its significance to the long lasting

success of firms, this body of literature has come out, which concentrates on the content of

sustainable competitive advantage as well as its sources and different types of approaches that may

be used to attain it. In other words, the skills and resources underlying a business’s competitive

advantage must oppose duplication by other companies to discuss the precise mixture of skills and

resources, which are exclusive to service industries. For instance, they suggest that the greater the

difficulty of assets needed to market a service; the greater is the significance of novelty as a basis of

competitive advantage will turn out to be. They also suggests that the brand equity turn out to be a

significant source of competitive advantage in service industries as the level of service offered

becomes more intangible and when customers have a great need to conquer the perceptions of risk.

Intangible resources may certainly appropriate than tangible ones to attain a sustainable competitive

advantage. Given that the accomplishment of sustainable competitive advantage is based on an

external focus, it is appealing to note that those intangible possessions that are external to the

company may add the most to value creation and consequently sustainable competitive advantage.

The various mobile service industries are trying to attain greater customer satisfaction by focusing

on the quality of their products and services supplied. Maintaining a uniform level of customer

satisfaction is not easy task, it involves observing and calculating multiple, as well as simultaneous

moment of truth for each and every consumer. Figure illustrates all the key elements which influence

customer satisfaction in an organization.

Now a days Researchers and practitioners has given a significant amount of attention to the service

quality in an organization It has been defined as a type of an approach, associated but not

corresponding to satisfaction. This results from the evaluation of probable service levels with

perceived performance (Parasuraman et al., 1998; Bolton and Drew, 1998; Cronin and Taylor,

1998). In short, customers enter a consumption experience expecting a positive level of service.

Throughout that consumption experience, they monitor genuine service performance. The

customer’s subjective assessment of how well (or badly) that actual performance compares to

probable performance results in the perceived service quality. There is substantial proof that service

quality works as an antecedent to customer satisfaction. In addition, it should be noted that the high

levels of consumer satisfaction leads to better consumer loyalty.

According to Parasuraman outstanding service is a lucrative strategy, as it results in additional new

customers, smaller amount lost customers, more trade with existing one, smaller number mistakes

requiring the re-performance of services and more insulation from price competition. Profit impact

of market strategy (PIMS) research has pointed out that the companies that present better-quality of

service are able to charge 8 per cent more for their services, while attaining higher than normal

market share growth and profitability. Therefore, offering better-quality service can help the

companies to become more cost-effective and helped them to sustain a competitive advantage in

their supplied markets. However, prior to service up gradation programs are introduced, present

service quality levels needs to be dealt with (Berry, 1999). These judgments should identify the

strengths and weaknesses of the service quality at present being delivered. Furthermore, approaches

concerning how to distinguish through enhanced service quality that is to achieve a competitive

advantage, involves evaluating quality assessments to those of competitors, (Berry and

Parasuraman, 1999). Such a contrast offers a strategic lens by helping to create priorities for the

improvement of the service quality as well as categorizing which service quality attribute to

highlight in distinguishing the company’s service offer. In today’s competitive environment, the

search of service quality is now considered to be an essential business strategy. Nowadays,

contributing a better-quality product is no longer satisfactory, as companies in the new era compete

on a much broader platform. An outstanding product is no longer the ticket to global market

supremacy, but merely the entrance fee to compete.

Quality of service in a cellular industry market is likely to become especially prevalent as the global

economy becomes increasingly service oriented with competition well established. When

competition exists, customer can set aside old loyalties and choose the service provider which best

serves their need. Potential and actual competitiors will have a vital interest in identifying areas of

quality where there is potential to gain or sustain competitive advantage and subsequently set their

quality levels and prices accordingly. In this competitive environment, it will be essential to ensure

that each customer is getting value for money. The concept of ‘value’ has already been identified as

being a major factor in determining customers’ purchasing preferences, and a major component of

value is quality. Customers are also beginning to realize that they have a major role to playing

setting quality levels within the cellular industry and also in determining what new services should

be introduced. Customers are beginning to come together to form an organization and thus

increasing the volume and power of their voice within the industry.

RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC

The topic which is being choosen by me is “Customer Perception Towards GSM services providers

(AIRTEL, IDEA & VODAFONE) at Aligarh.”

As we are well aware that today , the mobile phones have become very common and it is used by

every one &it is fastest growing technology in the world. Mainly three companies , AIRTEL, IDEA

& VODAFONE are involved in this business.

So with the help of this study I want to know about the perception of customer that GSM

services used by them and how much liked and prefer by them and what more changes they wants in

these services.

Objectives

The subject matter for this research Project is to study the customer perception towards the GSM

service providers. This project consists of different objectives. They are as follows:

To know about the customer perception level associated with different mobile service providers.

To find out the customer satisfaction towards the various service providers.

To know which advertisement media puts more impact on the buying decision of students.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Methodology refers to search of knowledge .one can also define research methodology as a

scientific and systematic search for required information on a specific topic.

The word research methodology comes from the word “advance learner ‘s dictionary meaning of

research as a careful investigation or inquiry especially through research for new facts in my branch

of knowledge for example some author have define research methodology as systematized effort to

gain new knowledge.

Research plan

Sampling universe : Finite

Research design : Descriptive research

Sample size : 100

Sampling method : Random sampling

Data collection method : Primary data - questioner

Secondary data– Books, Magazines, Web

Area covered : Aligarh

DATA ANALYSIS

1) Are you the user of mobile phone?

a) Yes b)No

INTERPRETATION:

Few years back mobile connections were not common among the customer. But with the mobile

revolution now we can find almost every customer with mobile phone. In all the respondents 98%

had mobile connection 2% were not having mobile connections.

2) Are you the user of ?

a) prepaid b) postpaid

Particulars % age respondents

Prepaid 80

postpaid 20

Yes 98%

No 2%

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 98 respondents 80% were using prepaid connections while 20% respondents were using

postpaid connections. In my study mostly student prefer prepaid connections.

3) Which cell phone connection you are using?

a) Airtel b) Ideac) Vodafone

Airtel 50%

Idea 30%

80%

20%

Vodafone 20%

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 98 respondents 50% were using Airtel connections while 30% respondents were using Idea

connections and 20% were using vodafone. They choose Airtel because of the better connectivity &

good coverage.

4) What criteria do you give while choosing the service provider?

a) Cost b) Connectivityc) Value aided services d) Plan

Cost 15%

Connectivity 50%

50%

20%

30%

Value aided services 15%

Plan 20%

Interpretation: - Out of 98 respondents 50% chosen because of better connectivity 20% have chosen

for plan while only 15% have chosen it for value aided services & cost.

5) Which service provider is providing the best value aided services?

a) Airtel b) Ideac) Vodafone

Airtel 62%

Idea 25%

15%

50%15%

20%

Vodafone 13%

INTERPERTATION:-

62% People are using Airtel because of value aided services ,25% are using idea and only 13%

peoples are using Vodafone.

6) According to you whose connectivity is best?

a) Airtel b) Ideac) Vodafone

62%25%

13%

Airtel 55%

Idea 25%

Vodafone 15%

INTERPRETATION:-

55% peoples using Airtel because of its connectivity ,25% are using idea and only 15% peoples are

using Vodafone.

7) According to you which kind of value aided services do you want to be provided

by your service provider?

a) ring tones b)caller tones

65%

15%

25%

c) wallpapers d) games

e)GPRS f)SMS

ring tones 10%

caller tones 15%

wallpapers 5%

games 15%

GPRS 40%

SMS 15%

INTERPRETATION:-

40% people prefer GPRS services in all the value aided services.15% are prefer caller tunes, games

and sms.10% people prefer ring tones,5% prefer wallpapers in value aided services.

8) Are you satisfied with the talk time given & charges of prepaid connection?

a) yes b) no

40%

15% 10%15%

15%5%

Yes 70%

no 30%

INTERPRETATION:-

70% People are satisfied with the talk time & charges of prepaid connection. But 30% people are not

satisfied with the prepaid connection.

9) According to you voice clarity of which one is better?

a) GSM b) CDMA

70%30%

GSM 40%

CDMA 60%

INTERPRETATION:-

60% people said that they prefer CDMA services because of voice clarity &

Connectivity , 40% prefer GSM services.

10) By which mode of promotions you came to know about the service provider?

a) Advertisement b) Road showc) WOM d) any other…… (specify)

60%40%

Advertisement 40%

Road show 15%

WOM 30%

any other…… (specify) 15%

INTERPRETATION:-

40% people become aware about the service provider through the advertisement ,30% through word

of mouth communication , 15% through road show & any other promotional activitie

11) The recharge coupons of which network are easily available?

a) Airtel b) Ideac) Vodafone

40%

30%

15%

15%

Airtel 40%

Idea 35%

Vodafone 25%

INTERPERTATION:-

According to the respondents recharge coupons of all the companies are easily available in the

market.

12) Which one would you like to promote or suggest to your relative / friend?

a) GSM b) CDMA

40%45%

35%

25%

GSM 40%

CDMA 60%

INTERPRETATION:-

Mostly people prefer CDMA services to the relative and friends because of voice

clarity ,connectivity ,good coverage etc.

13) If you are using dual sim phone which type of connection you prefer to use?

60%40%

a) Both post paid b) both pre paidc) One pre paid & one post paid

Both post paid 60%

both pre paid 20%

One pre paid & one post paid 20%

INTERPRETATION:-

60% Peoples prefer one prepaid & one postpaid when they are using dual sim phone.

14) By which manner do you recharge your mobile?

20%

20%60%

a) Through easy recharge b) Through recharge couponsc) Through Internet.

INTERPRETATION

According to the survey 55% people prefer easy recharge, 31% of the people prefer recharge coupon

and rest of them prefer internet option.

Through easy recharge 55%

Through recharge coupons 31%

Through Internet 14%

easy recharge

rechargecoupans

internet

55%31%

14%

FINDINGS

Findings

Few years back mobile connections were not common among the customer. But with the

mobile revolution now we can find almost every customer with mobile phone.

T.V. and internet are the best media advertisements that put more impact on the customer

buying decisions.

Maximum numbers of respondents were attracted towards the coverage facility and the least

like the roaming services.

Mostly the customers are satisfied with the services provided by the Airtel.

Most of the students prefer prepaid connections than postpaid connections Maximum number

of students are loyal to there particular service providers and they were using there

connections since 2 years.

Mostly the students are satisfied with the services provided by the different cellular

companies.

Mostly the Youth don’t use their mobile services beyond making calls and text messages.

SUGGESTION

SUGGESTIONS

Mobile service providers should provide the web access at cheaper cost.

Telecom market is quite competitive so mobile service providers should provide the services

at cheaper cost.

Mobile service providers should focus on providing better network coverage .

Mobile service providers should also start providing 3G technology in Rural as well as Urban

areas.

Mobile service providers should provide various schemes for their existing customers.

Tariff plan for STD and ISD calls should be reduced.

LIMITATIONS

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The research will be conducted in a limited area.

The internet information can be irrelevant.

Time will be a major constraint.

Smaller sample may not always give better results. Sample may not be true representative of the

whole population.

The possibility of biased responses can’t be ruled out.

Lack of availability of full information.

Lack of interest of respondents.

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

Telecom sector is booming sector. Its market is quite competitive in Aligarh with so many

companies venturing here. Most of the customers are associated with Airtel due to its good

connectivity & coverage. Vodafone & idea has lost its market share due to its low good connectivity

& coverage. Portability of number is the demand of customers from companies’ side.

Due to the ever burgeoning telecom market, these service providers have started offering

competitive rates for long distance calls, competitive rate plans and great discounts.

Due to the growing need for mobile phones, it’s no wonder that service providers are going all out to

capture, as much market space as they can.

As the number of mobile phone users are estimated to rise to about 120 million by 2008, it’s not

surprising that most of the leading service providers in India have started branding and marketing

their services more aggressively.

India’s telecommunication sector has been touted as one of the most lucrative markets for mobile

service providers and also for global mobile companies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Principle of Marketing By Philip Kotler

Research Methodology

- by C.R. Kothari

Internet Websites

- www.google.com

- www.airtel.com

- www.vodafone.com

- www.idea.com

- www.tekesindiamobilestudy.com

QUESTIONNAIRE

QUESTIONNAIRENameOccupation-City-

1. Are you the user of mobile phone?

a) Yes b) no

2. Are you the user of ?

a) prepaid b) postpaid.

3. Which cell phone connection you are using?

a) Idea b) Vodafonec) Airtel d) Others

4. What criteria do you give while choosing the service provider?

a) Cost b) Connectivityc) Value aided services d) Plan

5. Which service provider is providing the best value aided services?

a) Idea b) Vodafonec) Airtel d) Others

6. According to you whose connectivity is best?

a) Idea b) Vodafonec) Airtel d) Others

7. According to you which kind of value aided services do you want to be provided by your service provider?

a) ring tones b)caller tonesc) wallpapers d) gamese)GPRS f)SMS

8. Are you satisfied with the talk time given & charges of prepaid connection?

a) yes b) no

9. According to you voice clarity of which one is better?

a) GSM b) CDMA

10. By which mode of promotions you came to know about the service provider?

a) Advertisement b) Road showc) WOM d) any other………….(specify)

11. The recharge coupons of which network are easily available?

a) Idea b) Vodafonec) Airtel d) Others

12. Which one would to like to promote or suggest to you relative / friend?

a) GSM b) CDMA

13. If you are using dual sim phone which type of connection you prefer to use ?

a) Both post paid b) both pre paidc) one pre paid & one post paid

14. By which manner do you recharge your mobile?

a) Easy recharge b) Through recharge couponsc) Through Internet.