India’s missed call culture

http://gigaom.com/mobile/indias-missed-call-mobile-ecosystem-2/

by sytelus • 15 years ago

131 89 15 years ago

badclient• 15 years ago

I know why missed calls work for personal use.

But the use case described just sounds like an 800 number replacement. A better solution would be to have an 800 number than a missed call feature that calls you back do you don't have to pay.

Maxious• 15 years ago

Except if the cost of the 800 number incoming calls is more than the cost of however you can minimise your outgoing calls.

There was a similar situation in Australia where long-distance phone card providers wanted to ensure their relevancy in an age of decreased landline connections. Mobile phone calls to 800 numbers still cost the caller money and the reciever (which is why the telcos agreed this year to exempt counselling hotlines).

So instead they decided to setup hotline mobile phone connections to enter your phone card details, thus taking advantage of inside-same-network free calling. The telcos had none of it and just charged premium rates for those specific normal looking mobile phone numbers. I bet Indian telcos will be looking to do the same anytime soon.

namank4• 15 years ago

800 numbers cost minutes. In India, incoming is free for the most part.

DanBC4• 15 years ago

A company having a free-to-call telephone number has to recoup the cost of those calls somehow.

When people have very little money (they don't want to spend money on a text message, not because they are skinflints but because they are poor) there's little chance to upsell goods to recoup the cost.

hkmurakami2• 15 years ago

Interesting, this "missed call" was used in Japan extensively in the early 2000's, mainly to ask friends in the middle of the night whether they were still awake or not (kind of like the late-night instant message to a friend who is displayed as "away").

The act was called "One-Giri" (Giri is a conjugated form of "Kiru" which means to cut or hang up, in the case of a phone call)

arkitaip• 15 years ago

But not anymore? What happened?

This missed call phenomena is fairly common in Sweden amongst children and teens with prepaid cards/plans.

hkmurakami2• 15 years ago

I believe that during that time, text messages were charged per character (and hence an alternative to the "missed call" was to send a text message with one character - or perhaps it was even zero characters). I don't think regular data plans or messages/month plans existed back then (or at the least, were not prevalent)

Now, data plans are the norm and many users have unlimited (non-internet) data plans and can text message indiscriminately. Limited data plans do exist, but because the "culture" has shifted towards proper messaging, people no longer send empty messages or use missed calls)

(For some reference, I don't think Japan had unlimited bandwidth internet of any kind in the late 90's, while U.S. users at least had the option of dial up unlimited monthly internet access; Earthlink, for one. The lack of a fixed cost cellphone message plan is thus in line with their overall telecommunication tradition)

If there are any users who lived in Japan and is more knowledgeable about the subject than I am, I will gladly be corrected.

cosmez• 15 years ago

i used to do that with my wife when i was a teenager =)

devs1010• 15 years ago

Interesting as I don't think this would hurt the overall phone business as someone is always paying for the return call. However, I suppose this would tip in favor mainly of the landline companies and would be cutting profits from cell companies.

namank4• 15 years ago

Keeps the networks super busy without paying for it.

someperson2• 15 years ago

There is a HUGE market here for someone to create a free texting app that encodes each character in the length of time before the call has been ended (like morse code, but with no dots, only dashes).

The application would abstract the handshake+message delivery away and hopefully would find ways to reliably send a character in hundred milliseconds, instead of seconds.

If the application becomes successful, you would have live with being the one to make carriers the world over to begin charging when a phone BEGINS ringing, instead of a successful connection. (or remove the loophole in another way, like charge on the 3rd attempt.)

Alternatively don't send individual characters, from a single call the user can choose one of 5-10 default messages (preset or mutually-agreed-upon-inadvance) like "OK" "Be there in 5 minutes" "No" etc via the length of a single call using a mobile phone application.

You can have entire conversations via mobile for free :D

namank4• 15 years ago

Would you be able to do this at the app level? Maybe I don't know about it enough but I'm thinking you would need to have direct access to the radio to encode the paging signal. Then wouldn't the base station have to understand our different tones so it can preserve them in order to pass them on?

cool idea tho

someperson2• 15 years ago

Encode the positive integer (index of the preset message) in the length of the ringing:

1 second before cutting = OK

2 seconds before cutting = Be there in 5 minutes

3 seconds before cutting = No

4 seconds before cutting = ?

5 seconds before cutting = haha

... etc

It would be much easier to do between friends (understand they are sending a message, not phoning you) but a well coded application could disable its vibrate+ringtone on ALL incoming calls by say, 3 seconds and the message can be placed in that window (so the user doesn't accidentally pick it up thinking it's a call).

There are many ways to do it. A well thought out version can become immensely popular.

eru• 15 years ago

> If the application becomes successful, you would have live with being the one to make carriers the world over to begin charging when a phone BEGINS ringing, instead of a successful connection. (or remove the loophole in another way, like charge on the 3rd attempt.)

They could also start messing up your careful timing. Then it would be much harder to convey information.

ravivyas• 15 years ago

Some Indian providers already do this.

chimeracoder• 15 years ago

This sounds like a terrific idea in theory, but I'm not sure if the times can be measured that precisely. I may be wrong, but try calling your landline phone from your cell phone, and you'll see what I mean.

icebraining2• 15 years ago

Here in Portugal I remember people using "missed calls", particularly some years ago (when calls where much more expensive) with a code: one missed call to say 'yes', two missed calls to say 'no'.

Someone• 15 years ago

You can make this robust by using a double-SIM phone at either end. If both parties have one, you can easily get two bits per missed call, as there are four ways for Alice to call Bob.

pagekalisedown• 15 years ago

This is also common in Africa.

jscohn• 15 years ago

As as well as in the Dominican Republic, from my experience.

meow2• 15 years ago

Even now (after the long distance call cost has drastically come down), when ever I receive a call from my parents, I instinctively cut it (making it a missed call for them) and call them back :). In last two years increased competition among telecom players pushed down costs so low that in a few years missed calls may not mean much...

piyushpr• 15 years ago

It's a shame this doesn't mention Zipdial http://zipdial.com

jezclaremurugan• 15 years ago

But i guess the networks more than make up for it by having a huge margin for sms. They shouldn't really complain.

pkuhad• 15 years ago

I disagree with the author, I don't talk about those miser souls who think they can save enough money by these miss calls, but if you are specially talking about that miserable 'poor', the post is targeted for, understand now that a proper call is more appropriate than making just a miss call. If some of you are aware of mixed culture of urban and rural india in towns and small cities, then it's a norm for a taxi/auto [cab] drivers to make calls for their customers (I am not talking about professional cab companies, who provide cellphones to their drivers). Vegetable salespersons, electricians, plumbers .. there is a long list of these, it was an era when they were used to miss calls, but they will rather make a call today. However my take on this post is based on what I am observing in my surroundings, may be statistics say something else. The other reason of making a proper call can go like this : some telephone companies in India sell their sim 'free' and you get starting free talk time of 30/50/100 INR, these sim are sold in wholesale(obviously targeted for conversions ), if not free then they are there for nominal charges. Barrier to entry for making a call is very less, it is used for free talk time,internet(with indian speed) then some trash the sim, some of them don't mind making a local call on tariff like 1 paisa per second . [ 1 Rupees = 100 Paisa ]

pmorici• 15 years ago

Do cell phone minutes work differently in India? I was under the impression that I pay for minutes on my phone even when receiving a call. In which case I don't understand how hanging up after the first ring only to have someone call me back would save anything.

JamesPeterson• 15 years ago

In Australia, the idea of paying to receive calls is rediculous. Sure, it's not quite like that on the carrier end. But we consumers only pay when making calls.

keithpeter• 15 years ago

Same in UK. Was surprised at North American system!

jeswin• 15 years ago

Nope, in India you only pay for the calls you make. I was actually surprised by your system, where you can make someone pay by just calling.

microarchitect• 15 years ago

It gets worse. You can even get charged for receiving a text message.

CamperBob• 15 years ago

One huge advantage of our system in the US is that it gives us a good excuse to scream bloody murder when legislators try to pass bills allowing telemarketers to call cell phones. (This just happened, as a matter of fact.) If incoming calls were free, cell phones would become a lot less usable due to telemarketing spam.

masklinn• 15 years ago

The US and Canada are the only countries I know of where you pay for spam (as in, pay when receiving a call or a text).

There might be others, but in advanced economies (at least) the concept is generally found ludicrous.

ashishgandhi• 15 years ago

Add Singapore to the list.

mark_story• 15 years ago

Mobile pricing in Canada is entirely mental. The charges carriers charge here is crazy compared to europe or asia. I had hoped that when we went from 3 to 6+ carriers things would improve, but they haven't. :(

zapf• 15 years ago

There's also the catch in the US system.

When you hear the message saying 'blah blah, leave a message after the tone'. Those seconds are charged to the caller.

Add up all those millions of seconds and the networks are rolling.

We all know what to do when the person is not there. I don't need to hear a 15 second message telling me yet again what to do.

cgs• 15 years ago

I think it was David Pogue who wrote something up on this: press "1 * #" in that order, slowly, listening after each press. Depending on the carrier, you'll skip the message eventually.

andyking2• 15 years ago

This happens in most countries - I think it's Vodafone in the UK which reads out the recipient's phone number very slowly before letting you leave a voicemail.

It goes something like "Welcome to the Vodafone voicemail messaging service for 0... 7... 7... 4... 5... 9... [the rest of the number]... the person you have called is unable to answer the phone right now. Please leave a message after the tone."

Call me presumptuous, but I know the number of the person I've just called, and don't really need to know how to use an answerphone.

joezydeco2• 15 years ago

We were doing this 30 years ago in the US, usually when someone's flight landed and they needed a ride.

You initiate a collect call and tell the operator a bogus name. Operator calls home and the call is rejected. Ride is on it's way. It got a little easier in the 80s when the system got automated and Mom would get a collect call from "COMEPICKMEUPATUNITEDDOORSEVEN"

ghshephard2• 15 years ago

This reminds me of when I was going to college (1988-1991) and the "Collect Call" system was becoming automated (all landlines) - with a collect call, it would be the recipient who would pay the charges, _if they accepted_. The automated system would give you a chance to say your name, and then it would play a message to the recipient "You have a collect call from <Play Name that was just recorded>. Do you accept charges?"

Of course, you could say anything as your name including, "Let's go for pizza 8:00" or "Won't be able to make study group tonight" - if you said it quickly enough. The person at the other end would here the message, and then decline to receive the call.

Caller ID wasn't as common - I'm presuming the missed call culture leverage caller ID for a lot of it's signalling mechanism. (I.E. If you are a taxi, and get a call that cuts off after 1 ring from a number, it means come pick that person up. If you get 2 rings then it means call me back, etc...)

bryanlarsen• 15 years ago

I know a few people who got really burned by the automated collect call system. The phone company (Sasktel in this case) started reviewing the recordings and charged the calls where something other than a name was used.

ghshephard2• 15 years ago

Charged who? The person being called? That would open them up to a pretty trivial attack - call their answering machine with something other than a name. The person calling? Usually you would do this from a pay phone (Remember those?) - so no luck there.

In my case, it was BC Tel, and I don't ever recall anyone ever getting charged throughout my college existence.

halayli• 15 years ago

This behavior existed since early 90s in Lebanon.

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

nazar• 15 years ago

Several years ago in Turkmenistans first 5 seconds of the call was free. While I was in high school, we were using that feature as a radio.: A: I am in canteen(hang up) B: Coming(hang up) A: Bring chemistry book (hang up) B: Ok

We could talk like this whole day without paying a penny

fpgeek• 15 years ago

I wonder if there is (or soon will be) an Android app / dialer that lets you "call" people with a missed call. Based on the little international number dialer I use (substituting a cheaper dialing code for + according to your instructions), you'd be able to support general dialing actions (e.g. dialing a phone number recognized in an email or web page) and might even be able to adjust the call log so you see a single outbound call, rather than a "missed call" and its response separately. I can see that being fairly useful.

travisneotyler• 15 years ago

Tyler Durden: I *69 you, I never pick up my phone.

Indian: I missed called you, I never call from my phone.

_pcpe• 15 years ago

Network providers should think upon decreasing the cost of SMS instead of complaining about missed calls. It would give them the opportunity to monetise as well as free up the network to some extent.

And as for the 'missed call' culture, it's either used mostly by students or the poor peoples (a bitter truth of most Indians), in either of the case, it is mostly likely that none of them uses smart phones that can handle applications as mentioned in the comments here.

DanBC4• 15 years ago

SMS expanded from "minimal messaging that utilised slack space in the system" to "primary use of the system for many people".

There could and should be a way to get free, minimal messaging, sent as the system has free space, working. That could be used alongside modern sms and mms systems.

josephcooney• 15 years ago

What is the average lifetime value of a customer too cheap to send a text message?

DanBC4• 15 years ago

What is the average lifetime value of a customer too "cheap" to buy a full bottle of shampoo? The people who want that business sell sachets of shampoo. It's a model that works.

I guess if people are spending money sending text messages that's money that they're not spending on my business.

jandy• 15 years ago

I remember doing this as a teenager when we all started getting mobile phones (England). At first it was just to annoy people, we'd call it "pranking", where you'd call someone and hang-up before they answered; but later it evolved into a "I have no credit, please call me back" signal.

The phenomenon seemed to die off pretty much exactly at the same time as when everyone got jobs and/or money.

rayhano3• 15 years ago

In the developed world (except the US and Canada) voice calls are cheap and inclusive. Kids in the UK have phones for £10 a month, happily funded by parents, and they either hit a limit and have to top up or have enough inclusive minutes.

The developing world isn't going to be so quick to hand over its hard earned money to big corporates. The apps designed around missed calls as a communicative action are genius: you could use it in a variety of services: "Miss call Dominoes and we will send you your regular order within 30 minutes.... Could cause havoc too :) ( maybe need a railways return call to double check the order, on second thoughts...)

Maybe we are missing a trick here with consumers? A missed call is faster and more convenient than a text message... Would be a great marketing or polling tool

4clicknet• 15 years ago

I think that as consumers our reflex is to send a text when a missed call might be faster/more convenient. For example, if I'm picking up a friend, I'll text "I'm here" or "here", whereas I could simply make a missed call and my friend sees that it's me on the display and goes outside because she's expecting me.

Making a missed call would just not occur to me, but when I moved to Lithuania for a few years it became a habit because that's what everyone does over there (and in other places where there is a missed call culture and people have several cell phones to take advantage of cheap/free calling plans within a given carrier network). It's faster by a few seconds than sending a text or calling the person and telling them.

Once you're in the missed call mindset, you see all kinds of situations where you can use it, but until you get in the mindset, the reflex will be to send a text or make a call.

seanos• 15 years ago

A phenomenon I noticed in certain Latin American countries: there are vendors walking around and on every street corner advertising "Minutos" who carry a set of mobile phones on strings which they will rent to you. The main reason is that calls between phones on the same network are much cheaper, so it enables people to own a single phone and dodge the higher inter-network charges when making calls.

fendale• 15 years ago

When I was in the USA travelling and wanted to call someone on Skype back in the UK, I used the ring once hang up technique to signal for them to get logged onto Skype or text me back to say they cannot. When inthe USA on a UK mobile, it's about $1.50 per minute to make a call, and $0.50 to send a text. It's free to receive texts though so this hack let me communicate basically for free.

simondlr• 15 years ago

I always thought most mobile operators offered a "please call me" service? In South Africa, you can send a 'message' using USSD (ie *140#<number>) to let someone know that they should call you. You have a limit of 100 a day or something.

Is this common in other countries as well? (Clearly not in India?)

msh• 15 years ago

I have never heard of this in scandinavia.

afterburner2• 15 years ago

The article mentions average phone revenue in India, and I'm not sure if it was trying to make the link or not, but the missed call culture shouldn't affect overall Indian cell revenue rates too much since someone ends up paying for the call. Exceptions would be phoning outside the country and the receiver having different rates than the sender.

Of course it makes a difference if, say, everyone using missed calls were with the same company. Then that company would fail...

Perhaps a solution (assuming one is desired) is for businesses to offer toll free numbers such that cell phone calls to them are payed for by them?

pedrolll• 15 years ago

Maybe I'm missing something here, but isn't the case such that when you place a call and immediately hang up, no one pays for that call, although unnecessary traffic is caused for the operator? In some of these cases the receiver might call back, and then that second call is paid for. But if this is really a culture in India, then the operators lines are used a lot all the time, even though no one is paying for these one ring calls.

afterburner2• 15 years ago

Yes, I do assume no-one pays for the missed call. But as you say, the receiver pays for the subsequent return call, whereas otherwise, the original sender would have paid. Either way, assuming a call happens, someone pays, so if the article is implying this costs the Indian cell industry as a whole money, I'm not sure it's really true. Sure, increased overhead on the system is an issue, plus the exceptions I noted.

lappet• 15 years ago

I have read similar articles a few years back. The "missed call culture" as people put it has been there for quite sometime, since the mobile revolution in India. However I would say one reason for this might be that voice mail is hardly used in India - if someone's phone is unreachable or switched off - when you try calling them, you hear a recorded message saying the other person is unreachable - unlike in the US when a lot of times you are just redirected to the receiver's voice mail box. I happen to be not very fond of voice mail :(

calcnerd256• 15 years ago

poke

kaerast• 15 years ago

When leaving my grandparents' house for a long journey home, everybody was always instructed to give three rings when they get home safely. To this day I always let a phone ring three times before answering, partly in case it's an "I'm OK" message and partly because waiting for somebody to answer gives the caller time to think what they actually want to say.

My grandparents didn't have caller ID and so had no idea who was telling them they'd got home safely, but they could guess based on timings pretty well.

gwillen• 15 years ago

This works much less well in the days of digital call signalling. The "ringback tone" you hear -- the ringing in your earpiece when you call someone -- no longer corresponds in any way to the ring being generated on the other end. Ringback can start before or after ringing, so you can't even count on the number of seconds being the same, let alone the number of rings.

India’s missed call culture

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