Srinagar: The much hyped rescinding of ban on Short Messaging Services (SMS) benefits only 16 percent of the mobile phone subscribers in Kashmir Valley.
Official sources told that there are around 48 lakh mobile users in the valley. Of them, they said, 40 Lakh are pre-paid subscribers while eight lakh use post-paid services.
“The decision to continue with the SMS ban on pre-paid connections is beyond any logic as prepaid subscribers make for more than 80 percent of the total mobile subscribers,†an official from a leading private mobile player operating in the Valley said.
The official who didn’t wish to be named said the lifting of ban for post-paid plan is no advantage to the mobile business sector here. “For companies as well as retail outlets SMS plans and recharges contribute a lot to business.â€
Besides, the official said, the companies SMS text marketing, which allows business houses to market their products through bulk SMSs, is also a huge source of revenue.
SMS marketing is of more relevance today then at any point of time since the use of mobile is so wide spread.
“SMS service had gained much popularity with Valleyites, particularly the young, who exchanged greetings and other messages through the e-text medium. Our business has suffered huge losses in view of the ban, and now the government has decided not to lift the ban,†said a retailer, Raees Ahmad.
In a rather surprising move, the state government lifted the ban on SMS on all post-paid mobile phone subscribers on Monday last.
However, as per the decision, taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the ban on pre-paid users and bulk messages for post-paid will continue.
The order makes it clear that bulk massage generated from various internet portals – The Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol— should be disallowed by all licensed telecom service providers.
The ban was imposed in June this year following widespread unrest in the Valley that saw the killing of 112 civilians allegedly at the hands of paramilitary CRPF and Police.
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