Coming soon in your area: ‘Pay and use’ ATMs

 

Accessing automated teller machines (ATMs) especially those located in far-flung areas, will soon be a thing of the past with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowing non-bank entities to own and operate ATM networks across the country. It comes as a boon for account holders staying in rural and semi- urban areas.

White Label ATMs (WLAs), popular in developed countries, will be rolled out soon by the corporate sector.

RBI has sought views of banks whose ATM cards would be accepted at WLAs.

“RBI has reviewed the extant policy on ATMs and it has been decided to permit non- banks to set up, own and operate ATMs to accelerate growth and penetration of ATMs in the country. Such ATMs will be in the nature of White Label ATMs and would provide services to customers of all banks,” the RBI said.

Unlike ATMs, WLAs are not owned by individual banks. Any corporate non-bank entity can set up WLAs after getting RBI’s approval.

Customers of any bank can use such ATMs but they will have to pay a fee for availing services. Guidelines on maximum five free transactions in a month for using ATMs of other banks will not be applicable for transactions done through WLAs.

According to RBI data, there are about 87,000 ATMs in India and most are owned and operated by banks concentrated in metros and tier- one cities. Since 2008, ATMs have been growing at 30 percent annually. RBI intends to raise the number of ATMs so that people in nook and corner can have access to ATMs.

“To start with, only cards issued by banks could be used at WLAs. Acceptance of deposits at the WLA site into the account of the WLA operator indicated by it shall not be permitted,” RBI said. RBI’s directives on deadline for resolution of complaints of failed ATM transactions will also apply to transactions at WLAs. Many corporate, including Tatas, Reliance, M& M and L& T, are believed to be applying for WLA licence, which are expected to be issued after March.

RBI’s objective is to radically expand the reach of banking services and to significantly increase the number of ATMs by involving the corporates to invest in such ventures.

The WLA operator must have a minimum net worth of Rs 100 crore and needs to declare one Sponsor Bank, which will serve as the settlement bank to settle all service transactions at WLAs.

The primary responsibility to redress any customer complaint related to failed ATM transactions will rest with the issuing bank with support to be given by the sponsor bank.

The WLA operator can choose the location of the WLA but it will have to adhere to annual targets and the ratio of WLA between tier one and two, and tier three and four locations.

Reproduced From Mail Today. © 2012. MTNPL. All rights reserved.

Angry over unwanted calls, SMSes? Try Metro Block It

The new app allows users to quickly identify the numbers from which they want to block calls and messages.

 

A new app, named Metro Block It, has been launched in the Android Market that users can employ to block unwanted calls and SMSes. With Metro Block It, you can block calls and messages from anonymous and some particular numbers.

In India, mobile phone users have the option to register themselves in the Do Not Call Registry if they do not want to receive calls from telemarketers. However, calls and SMSes from telemarketers have not been stopped completely. Also, if you have not registered, you can use this app that gives an effective solution to this problem.

The Metro Block It has been developed by PrivacyStar, which makes apps for Android and BlackBerry smartphones, in association with MetroPCS, an American mobile phone service provider.

“We understand our customers’ needs and, with mobile devices being the primary phone and Internet device for many of our customers, recognize the need to provide them with a service that allows for uninterrupted use and control over their primary lifeline to the world,” said Tom Keys, president and chief operating officer of MetroPCS.

“We’re excited about working with PrivacyStar to meet the needs of our users and continue providing voice, text and data services, along with great features like Metro Block-it, at an incredible value,” added Keys.

The app is available for free for all users with Android 1.5 and above devices. To download the app, click here.

Top 5 feature phones below Rs 5,000

In the under-Rs 5,000 segment you will find hundreds of mobile phones. However, most of them turn out to be paper tigers with impressive specifications but poor performance.

So we chose phones that have a useful list of features but also boast top notch quality.

Nokia C2-03 Touch and Type (Rs 4,425)

This is the most searched phone on The Mobile Indian (ranks 15th,) and that speaks volumes about its popularity. The phone is a touch and type slider device based on Nokia S40 operating system.

It offers dual SIM functionality, but unlike other dual SIM phones, this one does not require you to switch off the phone to change SIM cards. In fact, the second SIM card slot is located on the left edge of the device. The phone can remember the settings for up to five separate SIM cards. It has a 2 megapixel camera, which takes decent pictures, and the device supports a 32 GB micro SD card as well. It is powered by a 1020 mAh battery that can easily give you two days of backup with average use.

C2-03 has a 2.6 inch display which hides a multi-tap keypad under it. You can use a stylus to navigate the menu on the phone’s resistive touchscreen.

There are GPRS and Edge internet connectivity on the Nokia C2-03; while for file transfers you can use Bluetooth or USB. For our impression of the handset you can read our reviews.

Motorola Quartz EX212 (Rs 4,599)

Remember Motorola Razr? Many of you might still have the phone. Apart from everything else, the design was its most standout feature, and it can perhaps be called the best looking handset so far.

That design is making a comeback with the Motorola Quartz, which is a dual SIM clamshell slim, smooth and shiny phone. But unlike Razr, Motorola Quartz is not a costly phone and comes with basic features like a 2.4 inch TFT that displays 262k colours, and a 2 megapixel camera with video recording at 15 frames per second.

The phone plays videos well and the sound output is good too. It has a 3.5 mm jack so you can connect any headphone of your choice. Besides, it has stereo FM and a music player too.

For connectivity, Motorola has provided GPRS, WAP, Bluetooth, and a USB drive in the Quartz. The device has external memory capacity of 16 GB and is powered by a 750 mAh battery that gives talktime of up to 375 minutes according to the company. The phone comes with a one year warranty.

Though some might argue that the feature set of Quartz does not justify the Rs 4,600 price tag, we feel the combination of quality, design and features makes it good value for money.

Nokia Asha 200 (Rs 4,370)

Nokia recently introduced a new set of feature phones under its Asha series. Asha 200 is one of the first and the cheapest of the series to arrive in the market.

Asha 200 is a dual SIM phone running on Series 40 operating system. The phone has a 2.4 inch display screen and a well spaced Qwerty keypad that aids typing.

The phone sports a 2 megapixel camera, and weighs just 105 gram despite having a large 1430 mAh battery, which will last for days on a single charge.

Asha 200 has an internal memory of 10 MB which is expandable up to 32 GB through a micro SD card.

For connectivity, it has GPRS, Edge, Bluetooth and micro USB. There is also a 3.5 mm jack for earphones. Asha 200 comes with games, life tools, Nokia music unlimited and access to Nokia store – a big plus for any handset.

Samsung Chat C3222 (Rs 3,850)

This handset is one of our old favourites. It is easy to use thanks to a very well laid out user interface and has a lot of well implemented features including a dual SIM function.

The Samsung Chat C3222 comes with a Qwerty keypad and a 2.2 inch display. The dual SIM active mode renders both the SIM cards active at all times. Chat C3222 features a 1.3 megapixel camera.

A 1000 mAh battery powers the Samsung Chat C3222 and gives 12.8 hours of talktime. The 60 MB of internal memory on the phone can be expanded up to 8 GB via a micro SD card.

C3222 features a music player with 3D sound technology, FM radio with recording, and a 3.5 mm audio port.

Connectivity options on the Samsung Chat C3222 include GPRS, Bluetooth v2.1 and a micro USB port. The C3222 features an optical trackpad for better menu navigation.

Karbonn K1616 Magic (Rs 4,829)

This is the only handset in the list from an Indian brand. We have used this handset for quite some time and it impressed us with its features as well as stability and performance.

This is the most feature rich phone here with the largest screen of any feature phone currently available in the market.

Karbonn K1616 Magic looks like a smartphone with a sleek design and matte finish, a metallic battery cover and a highly sensitive 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen.

The phone has a 3D user interface, cut-copy-paste feature for SMS and notes, proximity sensor and gravity sensor. Karbonn K1616 is a dual SIM phone and comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera, 8 GB of external memory support, and Edge connectivity. It also has Bluetooth and USB.

This phone is powered by an 1150 mAh battery that offers very decent battery life (close to two days during our use).