Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of its virtual calling card service ‘Airtel CallHome' in Singapore. The launch which comes soon after the successful UK entry, aims to bring four lakh Non Resident Indians (NRIs) and students in Singapore closer to their friends and families in India. The service, which is being positioned as ‘the smartest way to call India', offers superior value to the users including unmatched call quality, extremely competitive call rates, two touch speed dialing, “easy dial” for frequently call numbers, and a host of value added services.

Subscribers in Singapore will now be able to call India at 10.5 Singapore cents per minute on a toll-free access number. Using the service, the subscribers can also call other countries, as per the list available on Airtel CallHome website. For a promotional period, subscribers will also get 70% extra talk time over and above what is purchased, bringing effective call rates down to 6.2 cents/min.

As a part of its launch offer, Airtel is giving 20 minutes of free talk time trial so that users can experience the superior call quality.

Speaking on the occasion, David Nishball, President, Enterprise Services, Bharti Airtel Ltd. said, “We are excited to launch the Airtel CallHome service in Singapore . Customers in this market, which is today dominated by physical calling cards, are looking for greater transparency in charges and ease of usage. Through our virtual CallHome service, we offer both great value and an outstanding customer experience. He added, “This launch is another step in our strategy to offer the large Indian population across the world a smart way to connect with friends and family back in India .”

According to industry estimates, the total outgoing traffic to India from Singapore is around 60 million minutes per month of which 36 million minutes is through calling cards. Singapore is the third country where the Airtel CallHome service is being launched. It was launched in US in end-2006 and in UK last month.

EASE OF USE: Customers need to log on www.airtelcallhome.com , create a personal account and the customer immediately gets a PIN to start calling. This virtual calling service is available 24X7 as per convenience of the customers. Additionally, the online account allows customers to have complete control over their usage, payment history and new promotional scheme at all times.

UNIQUE FEATURES

Two touch speed dial: ";Unlike physical calling cards where customer has to go through a cumbersome dialing process, dialing via Airtel CallHome is as simple as pressing two buttons. Customers can now register up to 10 telephone numbers in Singapore for outgoing calls in Singapore . Thereafter, they can configure up to 50 numbers in India that they call frequently, and store them as a short code (Easy Dial feature). Once the access number is stored as a “Speed Dial” on the handset – they simply need to press two buttons on the phone to connect with his friends and family in India , instantly and conveniently.

Value added services : Customers can also access other services such as Astro chat and Friends chat. For Astrology Chat, customers will be able to speak to an astrologer back in India at all times and get personalized consultation at just 65 cents per minute. For Friends Chat, customers will be able to make friends at just 45 cents/min.

Easy Payment Options

Available on the pre paid option only. Payment for pre paid charges will be accepted through a credit card on the web portal through a secure payment gateway. Customers will have the option to top up their calling minutes using an Indian credit card from India as well. Additionally, customers will also be able to access their personal account through toll free access numbers that can be accessed from anywhere in Singapore .