The two telcos say they aim to deliver ground-breaking, genuine and tangible benefits to international roamers and realize its vision of offering the highest level of customer satisfaction in mobile services to corporate and consumer markets.

In April 2006 Conexus Mobile Alliance came in to being in partnership with the seven member operators, including Far EasTone Telecommunications Co., Ltd. in Taiwan, Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) Limited in Hong Kong, PT Indosat Tbk in Indonesia, KT Freetel Co., Ltd. in South Korea, NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan, Smart Communications, Inc. in the Philippines and StarHub Ltd. in Singapore, have worked in concerted and unwavering efforts to ensure that all members'''' customers are able to experience seamless and hassle-free mobile-related services when they roam into members'''' networks.

In the first quarter of 2008, the seven member operators will jointly roll out the first pay-per-day data roaming flat rate plan in Asia. Apart from the geographical expansion to Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, BSNL and MTNL top telecommunications company in India will also help strengthen the Alliance''''s network as it grows internationally.

Furthermore, an all-you-can-use* data roaming daily rate will be offered in some members'''' networks, enabling members'''' customers travelling across members'''' countries or cities to check emails, transmit data or surf on the Internet via their mobile devices while completely doing away with the need to count the data usage**. Subscription is not required in most of the member networks. Members'''' customers will be automatically charged based on the data roaming flat rate tariff plan while roaming onto members'''' networks.

(* Details of the flat-rate data-roaming tariff vary among member operators and are subject to each operator''''s final discretion. ** Option for members to provide flat rate plan with pre-set ceiling in data usage.)

Chan Kin Hung, chairman of the Alliance''''s board and head of StarHub''''s advanced multimedia services, said, "We are very pleased with this achievement in bringing the first-ever pay-per-day data roaming flat-rate plan in Asia. With the increasing popularity of mobile broadband (HSDPA) roaming in the region, it is important for the Alliance to offer peace of mind to our customers as they use these services while roaming.

For a typical HSDPA session, the consumption of mobile data can be in the tens of megabytes, so the conventional way of data charging (i.e. per kilobyte usage) may not meet customers'''' needs as it will be costly. This move demonstrates our commitment in offering customers cost-effective data roaming charges while roaming onto all member networks."

R S P Sinha, chairman, MTNL, said, "Pay-per-day flat rate in roaming plan is a customer-friendly way of data charging on a per-day basis, therefore it will gives MTNL, BSNL and other member''''s customers greater flexibility in managing their mobile bills, enabling travellers staying overseas to determine their mobile expenditure depending on the number of days they use these roaming services.

"When the pay-per-day data roaming flat rate plan is launched in the first quarter of 2008, our subscribers will be able to enjoy the convenience of mobile broadband roaming with an affordable and predictable pay-per-day flat rate in roaming. We hope the offer will enhance the usage of mobile data while roaming"
At a press conference held at the Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited received a warm welcome from Conexus Mobile Alliance for joining the Alliance. Together with its geographical footprint expanding to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, the Alliance''''s members network now spans 11 markets covering about 160 million customers.

Conexus Mobile Alliance also introduced two member privileges, including SIM Card Replacement and Travelling Connect. With Service Centres for SIM Card Replacement set up in members'''' countries and cities, corporate users with company registered mobile lines of alliance members will be able to get a new and activated SIM card if they lose their original ones in members'''' places.

Meanwhile, Conexus Mobile Alliance has also established partnership with Travelling Connect, a leading global provider of loyalty management services to the telecommunications industry. Mobile subscribers from participating member operators can earn miles or points when traveling abroad and making mobile phone calls on members'''' networks to gain awards from airlines and hotels which are partner companies of Travelling Connect.