BANGALORE, July 10: JT Mobile, the cellular service provider for Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, will offer more value-added packages to its customers in the state. The company has started providing fax and data services which are at present available in the metros only.

Other facilities will be voice mail and short messages facility, which the company plans to launch in August.

Through the fax and data facility, customers can send faxes connecting fax machines to their mobile phones. They can also connect computers to enable them for any form of digital data. ``We have introduced this facility on a promotional basis and our customers have started using it,'' company president Frank D Hough. The company hasn't yet fixed the tariff structure for this service.

Through voice mail facility, mobile users can access details of calls they received while the telephones were switched off by dialling into JT Mobile's mail box.

The company has also joined the bandwagon to celebrate the 50the anniversary of India's independence. It has come out with another airtime offer, the amazing freedom package under which, it offers the customers first 100 minutes free with the next 100 costing Rs 8 per minute. ``Since the average subscriber's monthly airtime is only 150 minutes, you end up paying only for 50 minutes. It means a flat rate of Rs 2.70 per minute,'' says Frank Hough. ``Our earlier package, Club Connect Scheme is a runaway success,'' says the company general manager (sales) Gs Ramesh. The company has decided to extend the scheme till August although no formal decision has been taken in this regard. Another scheme is handset bundled with airtime package, where the company gives Rs 500 off on the billed amount to each subscriber for 18 months with the customer having the choice over handsets.

JT Mobile has tied up with NEC of Japan and Nera of Norway to lay a digital microwave network to link each city headquarters in the state.

As per its agreement with the DoT, the company will cover half the district headquarters of Karnataka in 3 years. JT Mobile will also spread its service to Mangalore Hubli/Dharwad and Belgaum soon.

JT Mobile has joined the Global Connect Alliance to offer roaming facility to its customers. The customers can make calls from anywhere in the country using a single SIM card. JT Mobile had talks with Spice, its main competitor in Karnataka, for sharing the infrastructure facilities. ``By sharing the infrastructure, both will be economising the service. It is more technically feasible also.''Hough said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.