PROJECT REPORTON

“ Perception of the customers within the age group of 17-25 years about the major telecom services.”

In Almora district, Uttarakhand

Under the guidance of:-

Mr. V. S. Solanki IPM FacultyMeerut

Submitted by:-

Bharat JoshiPGDM 2nd SEM.Batch-2008-2010IPM Meerut

INSTITUTE OF PRODUCTIVITY AND MANAGEMENTMEERUT

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CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE NO.Acknowledgement 3Preface 4Introduction 5Objective of the study 10Research methodology 15Limitations of the study 16Number of subscriber in Almora

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Analysis 18Conclusion 38Recommendation 40Bibliography 42Annexure-questionnaires 43

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to all those who have assisted me in my winter training project. This project report is an acknowledgement to all those individuals who have contributed to this project successfully.

I acknowledge with regards my profound gratitude to Mr. V.S. Solanki under whose guidance, the foundation of my project laid down. I shall always remain grateful to him as without his blessings and guidance this project would not been successful and completed in and at appropriate time.

The completion of any project require cooperation, coordination, contribution, guidance and efforts of several resources, materials, knowledge, energy and time and hence take this opportunity to thank all those who have directly or indirectly helped me in the completion of my project.

Thanks to all.

Bharat JoshiPGDM-2nd semesterIPM Meerut

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PREFACE

This winter project is a part of our curriculum so that we get exposed to the practical side of our theoretical know-how. This is basically designed to the real life situation. In this training program students use their academic knowledge practically which polishes the decision making abilities of the PGDM graduates.

For developing healthy managerial and administrative skills of potential managers it is necessary that theoretical knowledge must be supplemented with exposure to real life business environment. It is a practical training that the measuring itself is realized.

Conventional academic medium cannot sell anything down to real and practical market knowledge is required to make a hard core corporate.The basic idea of the winter project is to strengthen the student’s concepts through practical experience and make them acquainted with recent development.

This project is based on the study regarding the perception of the customers within the age group of 16 to 25 about the services provided by various telecom companies in the Almora district of uttarakhand. I have gathered all the valuable information about the telecom services provided from the people of Almora. What changes have occurred since the inception of big telecom companies in Almora district in development process?This study was conducted for a period of 10 days from 23rd December, 2008 to 2 January 2009. This project tells about various fulfillments of various objectives and charts are made to facilitate the understanding of the subject matter.

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INTRODUCTION

Telecom Industry in India

The telecom industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India. India has nearly 200 million telephone lines making it the third largest network in the world after China and USA. With a growth rate of 45%, Indian telecom industry has the highest growth rate in the world.

History of Indian Telecommunications started in 1851 when the first operational land lines were laid by the government near Calcutta (seat of British power). Telephone services were introduced in India in 1881. In 1883 telephone services were merged with the postal system. Indian Radio Telegraph Company (IRT) was formed in 1923. After independence in 1947, all the foreign telecommunication companies were nationalized to form the Posts, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT), a monopoly run by the government's Ministry of Communications. Telecom sector was considered as a strategic service and the government considered it best to bring under state's control.

The first wind of reforms in telecommunications sector began to flow in 1980s when the private sector was allowed in telecommunications equipment manufacturing. In 1985, Department of Telecommunications (DOT) was established. It was an exclusive provider of domestic and long-distance service that would be its own regulator (separate from the postal system). In 1986, two wholly government-owned companies were created: the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) for international telecommunications and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) for service in metropolitan areas.

In 1990s, telecommunications sector benefited from the general opening up of the economy. Also, examples of telecom revolution in many other countries, which resulted in better quality of service and lower tariffs, led Indian policy makers to initiate a change process finally resulting in opening up of telecom services sector for the private sector. National Telecom Policy (NTP) 1994 was the first attempt to give a comprehensive roadmap for the Indian telecommunications sector. In 1997,

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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was created. TRAI was formed to act as a regulator to facilitate the growth of the telecom sector. New National Telecom Policy was adopted in 1999 and cellular services were also launched in the same year.

Telecommunication sector in India can be divided into two segments: Fixed Service Provider (FSPs), and Cellular Services. Fixed line services consist of basic services, national or domestic long distance and international long distance services. The state operators (BSNL and MTNL), account for almost 90 per cent of revenues from basic services. Private sector services are presently available in selective urban areas, and collectively account for less than 5 per cent of subscriptions. However, private services focus on the business/corporate sector, and offer reliable, high- end services, such as leased lines, ISDN, closed user group and videoconferencing.

Cellular services can be further divided into two categories: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The GSM sector is dominated by Airtel, Vodafone-Hutch, and Idea Cellular, while the CDMA sector is dominated by Reliance and Tata Indicom. Opening up of international and domestic long distance telephony services are the major growth drivers for cellular industry. Cellular operators get substantial revenue from these services, and compensate them for reduction in tariffs on airtime, which along with rental was the main source of revenue. The reduction in tariffs for airtime, national long distance, international long distance, and handset prices has driven demand.

The telecom sector is also afflicted by a number of restraints. These include: Sluggish pace of reform process. Lack of infrastructure in semi-rural and rural areas, which makes it difficult

to make inroads into this market segment as service providers have to incur a huge initial fixed cost.

Limited spectrum availability.

But notwithstanding these constraints, telecom sector has undergone a revolution in the past decade and has played a major part in bridging the rural-urban divide.

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2008 - Watershed year for Indian telecom

For a country that stood at the bottom of the pyramid in terms of telecom penetration a decade ago, 2008 was a watershed when India's subscriber base topped 350 million users to make its network the second largest in the world after China, displacing the US.

The significant achievement was made possible by the mobile telephony segment of communications, which was once thought to be a gizmo for the rich - what with a tariff of Rs.16.80 per call when the telecom revolution began in the country in the early 1990s. But with tariff falling to 40 paisa a call and incoming calls becoming free, mobile telephony began to appeal to the masses.

In fact, 2008 also saw Indian telecom operators add a whopping 8-10 million new subscribers to the network each month, making a host of global companies to look at the country as their next big market for growth, especially in the hinterland.

And the statistics speak for themselves.

As per the watchdog for the sector, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the total number of telephone connections in the country reached 363.95 million at the end of October 2008 against 256.55 million in the corresponding month last year.

This, despite the fact that the number of plain vanilla landlines in the country actually fell from 39.41 million in October 2007 to 38.22 million the same month this year. Tele-density shot up from a mere 12.7 percent in March 2006 to 31.5 percent as on Oct 31.

The projection by several leading global consultancies is that India's telecom network will overtake China's in the next 10 years.

"The telecom sector in India has registered a remarkable growth during the last few years propelled largely by the unprecedented growth of mobile telephony," said Nripendra Misra, chairman of the watchdog.

"Three years back, a target of 250 million telephone subscribers by 2007 was considered too ambitious. We could achieve this target a few months ahead of

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schedule," Misra told IANS.

"Telecommunication access to rural India is going to be the most important development since the Green Revolution. Research analysts feel that mobile voice is overwhelmingly the engine of growth followed by next generation network, broadband and data."

The sector, which will go through a major revamp with the launch of third generation (3G) mobile services, has seen a number of ups and downs in the recent past.

A key development in the history of the telecom industry was when Bharti, in collaboration with 15 telecom players, signed a deal to build the first direct, high-bandwidth optical-fibre undersea cable system from Britain to India in May.

Technology travelled distances with Apple iPhone 3G being launched in India by telecom majors Bharti and Vodafone Aug 22.

The international investor community also continued to bet on the Indian market. Norway-based Telenor, the world's seventh largest telecom operator, bought a new-generation telecom company Unitech Wireless by paying $1.29 billion for a 60 percent stake.

Similarly, another start-up, Swan Telecom, which did not have a single subscriber, sold a 45-percent stake to the UAE's Etisalat for $900 million, taking the company's book value to $2 billion.

Another major foreign inflow was announced when Japanese telecom giant NTT DoCoMo picked up 26 percent stake in Tata Teleservices for $ 2.7 billion.

However, the entry of foreign players was marred by major controversies surrounding Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless. The communications minister was charged with flouting TRAI norms and allocating second generation (2G) spectrum on preferential treatment.

The now estranged government ally, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, raised a hue and cry over the government's "first-come first-served" principle and the resultant alleged loss of Rs.60, 000 crore (Rs.600 billion/$13.2 billion) to the exchequer.

The minister has claimed that the allocation of spectrum was purely based on TRAI's policies and clarified that both Swan and Unitech had only diluted their stake and that

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it wasn't an outright sale.

2G spectrum is nearing saturation, and with the defence yet to vacate the spectrum for both 2G and 3G that it holds, the problem persists.

December saw the much-touted third generation (3G) services being launched by the state-run telecom operator Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL). Under the brand 'Jaadu' (magic), MTNL ushered in the next wave of Indian telephony Dec 11.

With 3G and broadband wireless access (BWA) auctions a fortnight away, the government held a pre-bid conference to clarify on bidding related issues to the telecom operators and to make them aware of the rules of the game.

Though the turnout of foreign players for the pre-bidding conference was dismal, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) hoped that it would get a good response Jan 5, the last day for filing applications.

"We are hoping that the auction will draw in bids that are a few times higher than the reserve price of Rs.2,020 crore (Rs.20.2 billion). The global financial crisis will not affect the auction for 3G services," said R. Ashok, member (Finance), Telecom Commission, the apex government body for the sector.

Consumers had more good news in store, with the government announcing that the much-awaited mobile number portability (MNP) would be implemented in the four metros by June 2009 and extended to other parts of the country. (IANS)

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYThey are as follows:

To study the perception of people in the community regarding the mobile phones i.e. how do people perceive it?

To study the impact of recession on the number of new subscribers?

To study about the intensity of network in the town and associated rural areas?

To study about the employment opportunities generated in the town by the telecom companies?

To study about the factors which influence the customer to opt for a particular service?

To study about the quality of the other services like WLL provided by BSNL, Vodafone, Airtel and idea in the associated rural areas of the town?

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology is basically explained in the project in order to create a clear picture in the mind of the reader that how the study was conducted, how the data was collected on the basis of which the analysis and the findings have been reached upon.Firstly and for mostly it is very essential to mention that what kind of the research has been undertaken as to let the reader be aware of the framework within which the project was made.The type of research undertaken for this project is descriptive research. Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of the affairs as it exists at present. In the social science and business we quite often use the term ex post facto research for descriptive research studies. The main characteristics of this method are that the researcher has no control over the variables he can only report that what has happened and what is happening. Most ex post facto research projects are used for the descriptive studies in which the researcher seeks to measure such items as for example frequency of shopping, preferences of people or similar data. Ex post facto studies also include attempts by the researcher to discover causes even when they are not able to control the variables. The methods of research utilized in descriptive research are survey methods of all kinds, comparative and correlation methods.Secondly it is very important for any researcher to define the sources of data from which he has collected his data so that his research can be proved to be an authentic work.There are basically two sources of data from where the information can be gathered. These sources are described below with the sources of data from where the data from the project has been gathered.

RESEARCH PROBLEM

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A study of the perception of customers within the age group of 16 to 25 years regarding the services provided by various telecom companies in the Almora district of Uttarakhand. To investigate what does people of Almora think about the mobile services. To investigate why every another telecom company is targeting small towns for their project.

TYPE OF RESEARCH

Descriptive research

SAMPLE SIZE

I have used the sampling method for survey purpose. The survey size for the questionnaire was 100.

SOURCES OF DATA

Primary data.

Primary data is collected from face to face interaction with the people through.

1. Field research.2. Through phone and mobile survey.3. Questionnaires.

Secondary data

Secondary data is collected from internet, magazines and news papers.

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PERIOD OF STUDY

The study was carried out for a period of 10 days. It commenced on 23rd December 2008 and completed on 2 January 2009.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

The research instrument for the purpose was questionnaire.

SAMPLE PLANNING

An ideal market survey is a census but it is very difficult to cover entire population. Thus a small representative group has to be fixed and it is called sample. I have chosen convenient sampling due to ease to access the sample.

COLLECTION OF DATA

For collecting the necessary primary data, the researcher (myself) went personally to the respondent and requested them to provide the relevant information. The exercise of primary data collection was conducted only after the person who filled the questionnaire were thoroughly explained the purpose of study.

ANALYSIS OF DATA

The filled up questionnaires were then analyzed for each question independently and the report was prepared to record the responses against the relevant variable. the result of all operations are given under the heading FINDINGS.

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AREA COVERED

The survey is conducted in the almora district of uttarakhand to study the perception of the customers within the age group of 16 to 25 years. The focus area was the johari bazar, karkhana bazar, lala bazar, nanda devi bazar, court market, mall road, alexandra lines, church market, bright end corner.

Almora , Uttarakhand

Geography of Almora, Uttarakhand Almora is located in the province of Uttaranchal in India. To the east of Almora lies the Champawat district, to the west lies the district of Garhwal (Pauri & Chamoli) and to the North lies district of Bageshwer and in the South there is the district Nainital. The total area of Almora is 3,689.46 Square Km.

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Almora is 1650 meter above sea level. The Latitude of the city is 29 DEG. 36 MIN. N and the Longitude is 79 DEG. 30 MIN. E. Just below the town flows the Koshi (Kaushaki) and Suyal (Salmali) rivers.

Government and politics of Almora, Uttarakhand The District Magistrate administers the district. He is also the head of Civil Service in the entire district. The District Magistrate has the power to decide on issues relating to law and order and general administration. Under the District comes the Additional District Magistrate and Sub-divisional Magistrates.

Demography of Almora, Uttarakhand As per the 2001 census, the population of the state of Almora is 6,30,446. The literacy rate of Almora is 74.53%. 90.15% of the males are literate and 61.43% of the females are literate.

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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Besides every possible effort made, this project may contain certain flaws. I have tried hard to make this report keeping all the possible points in mind but still it may have certain shortcomings. These shortcomings may be due to the following reasons:

A large sample could not be covered due to lack of time and resources. This means that in spite of the best efforts; the sample may or may not be a true representative.

The study has been conducted in Almora district of Uttrakhand. In such a less coverage the result can’t be concluded for the entire region.

The respondents have answered some of the questions without knowing the importance of an unbiased research project and hence the accuracy and validity of the responses may be questionable.

The respondents may not have given the true responses.

Human tendency of exaggerating things.

Perception leads to false information.

Some peoples showed unwillingness to provide the accurate information.

Money factor was also a limitation.

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TELECOM COMPANIES PROVIDING SERVICES IN THE TOWN

NAME OF COMPANY SUBSCRIBERS

BSNL(Almora-SSA Region) 1,70,000(Prepaid) 1500(postpaid)

VODAFONE 10,034

AIRTEL 6432

IDEA 29000

There are 1, 70,000 subscribers of the BSNL in the Almora SSA region. The SSA region comprises of four districts i.e. Bageshwar, Pithoragarh , Champawat and Almora. The no. of postpaid connections is very less i.e. about 1500 in the entire region. The total no. of BSNL subscribers in Almora district is about 45,000 and the no. of Vodafone subscribers is 10,034 and Idea and Airtel subscribers are 29000 and 6432 respectively. According to the market share and customer base in

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the concerned region, BSNL, Vodafone, idea and Airtel are the major players in the region.

ANALYSIS

1. What is the first word You get in your mind when you hear word “mobile”?

An electronic gadget- 10.95%

Means of communication - 60.52%

Basic need- 29.91%

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Status symbol- 4.10%

Analysis- most of the people think that mobile is just a means of communication and it help them to communicate with their friends and relatives. Some people also consider it as a basic need.

2. Which type of mobile connection are you having now ?

1-prepaid – 89.04% 2- Postpaid – 10.95%

Analysis – most of the respondents were having prepaid connection and as it can be seen from the graph that the no. of post paid connections is very less.

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3-What do you think before taking a mobile connection?

1-Quality of service-68.49%

2-Price- 17.80%

3-Customer base of company- 10.95%

4-None- 2.73%

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Analysis- Most of the respondents are concerned about the quality of the service offered instead of the price of the service charged.

4- Which type of effect telecom services have created in the life of the common man?

1-Good- 50.68%

2- Bad- 10.95%

3-Fair- 31.50%

4-No effect- 6.84%

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Analysis – peoples think that the telecom services have created a positive impact in the life of a common man. Most of the respondents feel that it has created a good effect while some persons also feel that it has created a fair effect.

5-Which one among the following would you prefer?

1-BSNL- 43.83%

2-Airtel- 15.06%

3-Idea- 21.915

4-Vodafone- 19.17%

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Analysis- most of the respondents are using BSNL connection in the city and the no. of subscribers of idea and Vodafone are 2nd and 3rd respectively. Idea has registered a quick increment in the no. of customers and Vodafone is also doing well but the no. of Airtel subscribers is declining as compared to its earlier no. of subscribers.

6-What is the extent of your satisfaction regarding the services provided by your preferred company?

1-Full satisfaction- 45.20%

2-Partial satisfaction- 38.35%

3-Quite low- 13.99%

4-No satisfaction- 2.74%

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Analysis – it seems from the data obtained that the respondents using a particular service are fully satisfied with the services offered by their preferred company. But the fraction of the partially satisfied customers is also considerable.

7- Do you think the prices charged by the company are reasonable?

1-Yes- 32.62%

2-No- 12.32%

3-Can’t say- 30.14%

4-Adjustable- 21.91

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Analysis- Although most of the respondents think that the prices charged per call by their preferred company are reasonable but it is noteworthy that a good percentage of the respondents can’t say whether the prices charged by their service provider are reasonable. Some of the respondents feel that the prices charged per call are adjustable.

8. Do you think that the arrival of new telecom giants has created the employment opportunities in the town?

Yes- 50.68%

No- 16.44%

Not as expected- 21.92

Can’t say- 13.69

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Analysis – About half of the respondents feel that the arrival of new telecom companies has created the employment opportunities in the town but some people feel that the generation of the employment opportunities is not as they had expected.

9. In the associated rural areas, the intensity of network is:-

1-Similar to the town- 24.64%

2-Less strong than the town- 46.58%

3-More strong than the town- 12.32%

4-Very poor- 16.44%

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Analysis- According to the respondents, the intensity of the network is not as good as the town and the rural people suffer the problem of out of network several times. But some people feel that the intensity of the network is similar to the town.

10. What is your opinion about the WLL service provided by BSNL in the associated rural areas as compared to other telecom majors?

1-Quite good- 24.65%

2-Comparatively better- 27.39%

3-Ordinary- 34.24%

4-Bad- 13.69%

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Analysis- most of the respondents feel that the WLL services provided by BSNL are ordinary in the associated rural areas and some feel that it is comparatively better. The WLL services provided by BSNL are more economical as the call rates are low and it provides all the facilities like mobile connection except SMS.11. Do you think that the SIM cards of other mobile services are easily accessible than BSNL cards?

1-Yes- 65.75%

2-Not sure- 24.66%

3-No- 9.59%

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Analysis- According to the respondents, the SIM cards of the other telecom services are more easily accessible than the BSNL because to get a BSNL SIM, several formalities are required and it will not get activated until these formalities are fulfilled. On the other hand, the other telecom companies allow at least 3 days time to fulfill the formalities.

12. As far as network is concerned, which one is the best among the following?

1-BSNL- 31.51%

2-Airtel- 20.54%

3-Vodafone- 21.92%

4-Idea- 26.03%

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Analysis- Most of the respondents feel that the network of BSNL is the best in the town. After BSNL, Idea network is considered after BSNL. The network intensity of Vodafone and Airtel is quite similar.

13. Is it more worthy to have a landline connection rather than personal mobiles within a family?

1-Yes- 53.42%

2-No- 19.18%

3-May be- 21.91%

4-Can’t say- 5.47%

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Analysis- according to the respondents, the landline connection has still its worth in the household rather than the personal mobiles within the same family. It shows that the people in the society still prefer to have a landline connection in their house, irrespective of the personal mobile connections they are having.

14. Do you think that the arrival of various tele services has assisted in the development of the town?

1-Yes- 64.38%

2-No- 17.08%

3-Can’t say- 17.08%

Analysis- according to the views of the respondents, most of the respondents feel that the arrival of the telecom services has assisted in the development of the town and it has put a positive impact in the business and tourism of the area.

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15. Among the following services offered, which one is of the greatest privilege to you?

1-Info. Service- 32.88%

2-Entertainment- 31.51%

3-Learning services- 26.03%

4-Sports services- 9.59%

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Analysis- Among the services offered, most of the respondents favor the info. Services followed by entertainment, learning and sports services. The info. Services are concerned about the recent news, general knowledge. The entertainment services provides games, jokes to the subscriber.16. If a new market entrant provides more services as compared to your mobile service provider, what would you do?

1-Switch on to the new one-38.36%

2-Retain the old one- 24.66%

3-Expect the same service within my mobile- 28.77%

4-No reaction- 8.21%

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Analysis- About 38% of the respondents were ready to switch on to the new one if the new market entrant provides them more services and about 25% of the respondents are brand loyal. About 29% of the peoples were expecting the same services within their mobile. So, it shows that they can switch to the new one if they are not provided the same facility.17. With the regular entry of new telecom companies in the market, what major effect would you expect?

1. Lower call rates- 30.14%

2. New offers- 41.09%

3. Extra services- 24.66%

4. No effect- 4.2%

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Analysis- Most of the respondents feel that with the regular entry of new telecom companies, the market will be very competitive and new offers will be given by every company while some of the respondents think that the call rates will go down.18. Do you feel that increasing no. of mobile subscribers is due to improved economic condition of the local residents?

1-Yes- 54.79%

2-No- 23.29%

3-Upto some extent- 21.98%

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Analysis- About 55% of the respondents think that the regular increment in the no. of subscribers of mobile services is due to the improved economic condition of the local residents. It means that the purchasing power of the peoples has increased in the recent years.

19. What will be the effect of present recession on the no. of subscribers?

1-No. of subscribers will still increase- 50.68%

2-No. of subscribers will decrease- 20.76%

3-No effect- 20.54%

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Analysis- The reply of the respondents was quite amazing as most of them thought that the no. of subscribers will still increase and the recession will not have any major impact on the new subscribers because most of them felt that mobile connection is a necessity now-a-days.

20. Do you feel that mobile services have totally changed the traditional communication system?

1. Yes- 79.45%

2. No- 9.58%

3. Up to some extent- 10.95%

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Analysis- About 79% of the respondents are quite sure that the mobile services have totally changed the traditional communication system and only 10% feel that it has changed the traditional communication system.

CONCLUSION

1-On the basis of the researh conducted, it can be concluded that most of the people feel that mobile is just a means of communication which helps them to stay connected with their friends, relatives and society.

2-Most of the respondents are concerned about the quality of the service provided by the mobile companies and they are not much concerned about the price charged for the service

3-According to the research, BSNL is at the top as far as number of subscribers is concerned. It is also noteworthy that Idea and vodafone are also doing well as they have shown a regular increase in the number of subscribers.

4-On the basis of the results, it can be assumed that most of the customers are satisfied with the services provided by their preffered company but the percentage of partially satisfied customers is lagging behind with the fully satisfied customers with a slight difference.

5-It can be considered that the telecom services has created a positive image in the mind of the local residents as the respondents feel that the advent of telecom services in the town has assisted in the development of the town and it has created employment opportunities in the town.

6-Based on the perception of the respondents, it is quite clear that the mobile and WLL services provided by BSNL in the rural areas are not upto the mark. The intensity of the network is also not good as compared to the intensity of the town.

7-The peoples are much concerned about the info. Services and entertainment services provided by the mobile companies.

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8-Most of the respondents are likely to switch on to the new entrant in the market if it provides them more services, it shows that most of the peoples are switchers within the specified age group.

9-On the basis of the study, it can be predicted that maximum of the respondents are expecting that increment would be seen in the new offers with the regular entry of new service providers.10-It is quite sure that the economic condition of the local residents has improved in the recent years as the respondents feel that the increment in the no. of subscribers is due to the improved economic condition of the local people.

11-The respondents feel that telecom services has totally changed the traditional communication system and there will be no adverse effect on the number of subscribers due to the present recession in the economy.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

1-Most of the respondents were having prepaid connections and very few peoples were having the postpaid connections. So, I would like to suggest that the telecom companies should also focus on the prepaid connection and they should provide extra services and offers to the postpaid connection holders so that the number of the post paid connections can be increased in future.

2- Although the number of BSNL subscribers is the highest in the town but other telecom companies like Idea and Vodafone are also heading towards a rapid growth in the total number of subscribers. So there is throat cut competition in the market and BSNL should focus on providing quality and good service to the customers to retain the existing no. of customers and to increase the number of new subscribers.

3- According to the respondents, the intensity of the network in the rural areas is not good as compared to the town. So the telecom companies should take care of it because the rural areas are the new market for them and the existing rural customer should be given more consideration for maintaining a goodwill and word of mouth publicity.

4- The accessibility of BSNL SIM cards is still questionable because the customers have to fulfill several formalities to get a BSNL SIM but this is not the case with the other telecom companies and they provide certain degree of flexibility to fulfill the formalities. So, the BSNL should try to make the access of SIM cards easy.

5- According to the data obtained through the questionnaires, if a new market entrant provides more services then most of the customer are likely to switch to

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that one. This predicts that the no. of hard core loyal is less than the no. of switchers and another section expect the same services within his existing mobile connection. So, the telecom companies should focus on developing the customer loyalty by providing good services as compared to its competitors.

6- The customer base of Airtel has shown a decrease in the recent months. When I talked to the people in this regard, they replied that the services of Airtel are not as good as they were earlier. So, they switched to the new company. Airtel should take care of the existing customers by providing good services to create a good image in the minds of the people.

7- The respondents feel that the WLL services provided by BSNL in the rural areas are ordinary as compared to the others. So, BSNL should take steps to improve the services of WLL by which it can capture the rural markets.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Websites www.google.com www.wikipedia.com

Books and newspapers

Marketing research- C.R. Kothari.Marketing management- Philip Kotler.Dainik jagran.

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ANNEXURE

Questionnaires

Name:

Age:

Occupation:

1. What is the first word you get in your mind when you hear the word “mobile”?

An electronic gadget. Means of communication. Basic need. Status symbol.

2. Which type of mobile connection are you having now?

Prepaid. Postpaid.

3. What do you think before taking a mobile connection?

Quality of service. Price. Customer base of the company. None

4. Which type of effect telecom services have created in the life of a common man?

Good Bad

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Fair No effect.

5. Which one among the following would you prefer?

BSNL Airtel Idea Vodafone

6. What is the extent of your satisfaction regarding the services provided by your preferred company?

Full satisfaction. Partial satisfaction. Quite low. No satisfaction.

7. Do you think those prices charged per call by your preferred company are reasonable?

Yes No Can’t say. Adjustable.

8. Do you think that the arrival of new telecom giants has created the employment opportunities in the town?

Yes No Not as expected. Can’t say

9. In the associated rural areas, the intensity of the network is:

Similar to the town Less strong than the town.

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More strong than the town. Very poor.

10. What is your opinion about the WLLservices provided by BSNL in the associated rural areas as compared to other telecom majors?

Quite good. Comparatively better. Ordinary. Bad

11. Do you think that the SIM cards of other mobile services are easily accessible than BSNL cards?

Yes Not sure. No.

12. As far as network is concerned, which one is the best among the following?

BSNL. Airtel. Vodafone. Idea.

13. Is it more worthy to have a landline connection rather than personal mobiles within a family?

Yes No May be. Can’t say.

14. Do you think that the arrival of various tele services has assisted in the development of the town?

Yes No Can’t say

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15. Among the following services offered, which one is of greatest privilege to you?

Info. Services Entertainment. Learning services. Sports services

16. If a new market entrant provides more services as compared to your mobile service provider, what would you do?

Switch on to the new one. Retain the old one. Expect the same services within my mobile. No reaction.

17. With the regular entry of new telecom companies in the market, what major effect would you expect?

Lower call rates. New offers. Extra services. No effect.

18. Do you feel that the increasing number of mobile subscribers is due to the improved economic condition of the local residents?

Yes No Up to some extent.

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19. What will be the effect of the present recession on the number of subscribers?

No. of subscribers will increase. No. of subscribers will decrease. No effect.

20. Do you feel that mobile services have totally changed the traditional communication system?

Yes No Up to some extent.

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