Spice introduces free cell phone with connection

Bangalore, Aug 23 (UNI) MCorpGlobal owned Spice Telecom today launched country's first free cell phone with Spice connection for less than Rs 1000.

Under the offer, the new subscriber can get a Spice monochrome handset (model 404n) free for just Rs 999.

Film actress Tara released the first free handset here.

Announcing the offer, Spice Telecom (Karnataka) Vice President Rakesh Singh said, ''Spice is the first GSM operator to offer a handset free with sim card for as low as Rs 999. We have other attractive offers as well like a Spice connection at Rs 1499 which comes with a handset and 1250 minutes of talk time, Rs 1699 offer where a subscriber gets a colour handset with fm and 1750 minutes of talk time.'' Each phone comes with a three-year validity and local charges were as low as 40 paise for Spice to Spice calls, 60 paise for spice to all mobile phones, at 99 paise for Spice to landline calls, he added.

Mr Singh claimed that it had sold 1.8 lakh connections so far this year and expected to take it to 2.8 lakhs by the year end.

Spice had a subscriber base of 1.2 million in the state and over all three million in the state and Punjab, the two states where it operated.

The free handsets would be available in 268 towns and cities through 17,000 outlets in Karnataka, he added.

UNI