1. What is a Prepaid Mobile Connection?
Pre-paid mobile connection is a normal mobile connection where you get a SIM Card but you need to regularly Excel recharge it with recharge coupons / scratch cards which you buy whenever your prepaid balance gets exhausted. Each recharge has a validity period also.

2. Under what brand name is BSNL’s Prepaid Mobile sold?
BSNL’s Prepaid Mobile is sold under the brand name of Excel

3. What are the benefits of Excel?
Any mobile service is evaluated on 3C s’ i.e. Coverage, Cost and Clarity. BSNL is undoubtedly the best on all these three counts.

4. Where can I buy Excel Recharge coupons?
Excel is widely available, at all Departmental counters and their Retailers situated in all small and large city markets. It is also available at the Customer Service Centre (CSC) of BSNL in your city.

5. How much will an Excel Connection cost?
An Excel connection is available on payment of Rs. 200 only (M.R.P). It comes with a free talk value of Rs. 50 (7days validity from the day of activation by the customer).

6. Which hand set will work?
Any GSM hand set will work. India has two frequency bands for GSM working & dual band handsets may be preferred. Internationally, there are three frequency bands for GSM and tri-band handsets may be preferred in case International roaming is to be utilized. Various models of different companies can be bought from the market.

7. How do I activate my Excel connection?
Detach the SIM Card from the carrier card, along the groove. Insert it into the handset as per handset user manual. Put on the handset and wait for Cellone to appear on the screen. Dial 123 and follow IVRS instructions to choose any language and dial # to confirm when asked to dial ‘hash’.

8. How do I recharge my Excel?
Buy a recharge coupon / scratch card from the market / Departmental counters. Access the 16 digit secret code as per instructions on the card. Dial 123 and follow IVRS instructions to recharge and feed the secret code when asked to do so. Listen to the 16 digit code when IVRS repeats it. Confirm its correctness into the IVRS. Your account is now recharged with the talk value of the card. You can recharge any Excel recharge coupon belongs to your home network.

9. What are the Excel rechage coupon values?
Rs.300,Rs.500,Rs.1000 and Rs.2000, validity periods are 30 days, 45 days, 60 days and 90 days respectively. Talk values are Rs.176, Rs.361, Rs.822, Rs.1850 respectively. Grace Period will be 15 days for all Excel rechage coupons and additional Grace Period will be 60 days for all rechage coupons. Unused balance will be transferred if recharged within Grace Period but no balance (0 balance) will be transferred if recharged within Additional Grace Period.

10. How do I dial local land line calls?
Prefix the STD code of your area to the local number.

11. How do I dial pager service?
Prefix the STD code of your area to the pager number.

12. How do I find my current balance?
Dial *123# Current balance will appear on the screen.

13. How do I find my account validity?
Dial 123 and follow IVRS commands.

14. What is grace period?
Grace period is the period of 15 days after the validity period when you are not allowed to make any outgoing calls or send SMS. Presently, incoming calls & SMS are allowed. If you recharge within the grace period, the balance talk value in your account gets added to the recharged account.

15. What is additional grace period?
Additional grace period is the period of 60 days after the grace period when recharging is allowed without loosing your mobile number. No calls / SMS are permitted. The current account balance is lost.

16. What should I do when the validity of my card is expired? What will happen to the amount, which is still available unutilized in my number?
After expiry of the validity of the card, the connection is required to be recharged by the scratch cards ( meant for same license service area). This recharge is to be done within the grace period of 15 days from the date of expiry of validity if you want your balance unutilized amount also to be credited along with the net call value of the new recharge coupon through which you are recharging. After expiry of the grace period the balance unutilized amount will be lapsed. During grace period no calls are allowed except emergency ( Toll free ) and IVR call.

17. How do I find my handset number?
Handset number is called IMEI. This 15 digit number is written on the handset. This can also be seen on the screen by dialing *#06#. This should be noted down separately. It can be useful in tracing a lost handset.

18. What is the operational range of my mobile?
Your mobile can be used wherever there is BSNL mobile coverage, within your license service area (LSA). If you having roaming facility, your mobile can also be used in LSAs where you have roaming. (For details of license areas please click here.)

19. What is an LSA?
Your LSA would normally constitute of the area under your state. UP is divided into two LSAs : Calcutta Telephones & West Bengal [except kolkata, Bihar, Orissa]. The newly created states of Jharkhand, Uttranchal & Chhatisgarh are parts of Bihar, UP(West) and MP LSAs respectively. Delhi & Mumbai are not part of BSNL’s LSAs.

20. What are the call charges?
All Incoming calls are free. All outgoing calls to GSM mobile cost Rs 1.10 within the LSA and Rs 1.20 outside the LSA, per 30 seconds. All outgoing calls to fixed phones and WLL Mobile cost Rs 1.20 within the LSA & upto 500 kms outside the LSA; and cost Rs 1.80 beyond 500 kms outside the LSA; per 30 seconds. ISD calls are charged similar to fixed phone charges.

21. CLIP/ Call Waiting / Call Hold/ Call Forwarding

What is CLIP?
Calling Line Identification Presentation. The telephone number of the calling party appears on the screen of your mobile. This is free.

What is Call Waiting / Call Hold?
Call Waiting / Call Hold facility allows you to receive and hold an incoming call while you are already talking to another person. The handset user manual can guide you through the simple process of using this facility. These are provided without any charge.

What are the charges for CLIP/Call Waiting / Call Hold?
These are free of charge and self activated in your BSNL connection.

What is Call Forwarding?
Call Forwarding allows you to transfer your call to any other phone of BSNL, including mobile, fixed and / or WLL, within the home LSA.