Hutchison Essar launches PlanetHutch in Kerala

Kochi, Aug 23: Cellular service provider Hutchison Essar today announced the Kerala launch of 'PlanetHutch', an interactive GPRS based service through which customers can download songs, latest news updates and games on their mobile phones.

Speaking on the occasion here, Operations Director, Hutchison Essar Ltd. Kerala, Samuel Selvakumar, said with the launch of this value added service, Hutch customers in Kerala will find their GPRS enabled handsets becoming a one-stop shop for all their infotainment needs.

''This is a paradigm shift. The customers will now have a world of entertainment on their phones,'' he added.

Mr Selvakumar said that Hutchison, which had acquired the Essar brand in Kerala about six months ago, now covered 500 towns as against 280 towns in the state earlier. It presently had a network of about 14,000 retail outlets, servicing nearly 580,000 customers.

While not disclosing the company's investment plans for Kerala, Mr Selvakumar said Hutchison was planning seamless highway and rail route connectivity across the state.

Talking of PlanetHutch, he said the service comes with no monthly rentals. Customers will be charged the standard rate of 10paise/10kb as usage charges while accessing PlanetHutch. Regular download charges varying from Rs three to Rs 150 will apply.

Simultaneously, Hutch also announced the roll out of EDGE, a technology that will give high speed connectivity to its customers, thereby reducing the download time.

Hutch customers with GPRS and EDGE enabled phones can now download their favourite songs, polyphonic ringtones, wall papers, greetings, movie clips and games and also get the latest national and international news updates and book railway tickets besides send pictures through MMS.

As a special offering for Onam, the company was offering unlimited free MMS for three months and a free one-month trial of Hutch Mail.

UNI