Tata DoCoMo has started reaching out to customers to prevent them from leaving the network in droves, ahead of a takeover of the mobile operations by Bharti Airtel.
Subscribers of Tata DoCoMo, a brand operated by Tata Teleservices, had started porting out last month soon after newspaper reports claimed that it would shut down services by the month end.
In response, the company had clarified that no such decision had been taken. However, the clarification was of limited use in terms of reaching out to millions of subscribers.
Rumors of an unannounced shutdown by competitor Reliance Communications further alarmed subscribers who did not want to lose their phone numbers.
To prevent further loss of subscribers, TTSL has now started sending out text messages and also making calls to subscribers to reassure them that the network is not shutting down.
“Dear subscribers, the rumors of a shutdown of Tata Teleservices are wrong,” the company said in one of the text messages it sent.
“We are committed to your service. Keep enjoying the service as always,” the message said.
After making losses for several quarter, TTSL said its consumer-facing mobile operations are being handed over to Bharti Airtel along with all the wireless spectrum, network equipment and leases.
In return, Bharti Airtel was required to pay some of the remaining installments on the spectrum purchased by the company in recent auctions.
The rumors of the shutdown and the resulting loss of subscribers is learnt to have forced Tata Group to stop negotiations for selling the company, and instead go for what was termed as a give-away of the business to Bharti Airtel.