Pulse rate stays the same
The introduction of the new dialling system for Gandhinagar and areas within 50 kilometre of Ahmedabad, which the BSNL has deferred by a fortnight, will not mean any extra cost for consumers because the pulse rate will remain bhnunchanged.

Of course, dialling will become more cumbersome, with the consumer having to dial 11 digits for contacting anyone in Gandhinagar.

The new dialling code will include 95 followed by the STD code of the area, according to Pradeep Kumar, Chief General Manager, BSNL, Gujarat Circle. Besides, 2 will be prefixed to each telephone number in Ahmedabad and Gandhiangar, as has already been done in Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara circles.

In the same manner, the dialling for Bareja, Dehgam, Dholka and Sanand would also change, Kumar said.

The changes were to be introduced on January 31, but were deferred because of ‘‘some problems with regard to the software of the wireless in local loop (WLL), which we will solve soon’’, Kumar said.

In spite of the change in SDCA (short distance code area), there will not be any in the pulse rate, which will remain 180 seconds.

‘‘The tariff will remain the same for calls within 50 kilometres, until the pulse rate is reduced to 120 seconds all over, as recommended by TRAI,’’ Kumar clarified.

This should set at rest the consumers’ apprehension regarding higher bills, but many may not like the proposed change nevertheless.

‘‘Earlier, one just had to prefix 32 to a Gandhinagar number, but now one would have to dial more than 10 numbers. That is quite troublesome,’’ says Rekha Shah, who works with a private bank, and has to make frequent calls to her sisters at Gandhinagar and Sanand.

Republished from The Asian Age