Chandigarh: After launching it in Mumbai a few days ago, cellphone major Airtel today (May 27, 2004) started SMS services in North India for hearing impaired persons.

The 'confidence plan' with a rental of Rs 99 per month allows free 2,000 SMS messages from Airtel to Airtel in the country and at 30 paise per message to other operators' networks, Vinod Sawhny, chief executive officer of Airtel told reporters in Chandigarh.

He said that no security would be charged though the connection would come with pre-activated roaming facility and would be given only after the applicant submits a certificate of being hearing impaired.

A nominal activation fee of Rs 250 would be charged, Sawhny said, adding that voice calls would be allowed and charged at Rs 3.50 per minute.

In a symbolic gesture, Sawhny also donated handsets with pre-activated "Confidence Plan" to eight hearing impaired persons from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

He said commercial services in Jammu and Kashmir were expected to become functional from mid-July.

Airtel sources said around 80,000 post-paid connections are planned to be given in the first phase in Jammu and Srinagar divisions. The capacity and coverage towns would be gradually increased.