The government on Wednesday cleared financial support worth Rs 2,700 crore (Rs 27 billion) for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to be paid in the current and next financial year.
Telecom tariffs are likely to fall as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India substantially lowered access deficit charge, a levy paid by private operators to BSNL for rural operations.
Terming its proposed move to reduce pulse rate for basic to mobile calls as "non-discriminatory", Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Tuesday expressed hope that revenue impact on account of new customer-friendly packages.
The cellular phone industry will be able to lower the tariffs if the access deficit charge is brought down, according to Sunil Mittal, the CMD of telecom major Bharti.
In view of the delay in implementation of new tariff order, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Monday said its post-paid and pre-paid customers will continue to avail free incoming calls till the revised tariff comes into effect.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said on Thursday that the current access deficit charge of 11 per cent must be brought down to lower the tariffs and enable the sector achieve higher mobile growth like China.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd lost 32.6 lakh subscribers in 2003-04 compared to 17.9 lakh in the previous year even as 17.5 lakh people were waiting to get new connections from the state-owned telecom company as on March 31, 2004.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd lost Rs 9,000 crore (Rs 90 billion) for providing telephones in villages and remote areas, between its corporatisation in October, 2000 and December 31, 2002, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is likely to file three to four alternate tariff packages for basic telephony services with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
In a move that may bring some relief to basic subscribers, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is working out alternate tariff packages with 'flexibility and value additions,' and expects to file the new tariffs with the telecom regulator this month.
The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd on Friday announced up to 25 per cent reduction in ISD (international subscriber dialling) rates for calls made to destinations like the United States, the Untied Kingdom and South East Asian countries.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Thursday announced a 25 per cent cut in ISD rates for calls to the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asian countries, Gulf, Africa and SAARC nations.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is all set to emerge as a major service tax payer to the central government with the amount expected to touch Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 crore) during 2003-04.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, the public-sector telecom company, on Thursday said it was confident of expanding its mobile subscriber base to 25 million from five million in a year's time.
In a bid to enable subscribers to choose their own long distance operator, Trai now plans to start work on carrier access code.
Close on the heels of BSNL slashing its international tariffs, state-owned MTNL on Wednesday announced a 40 per cent reduction in ISD rates to the United States and Europe for a month, as part of a festive offer.
BSNL is to invest around Rs 932 crore for infrastructure development in Maharashtra circle, even as the telecom services provider is expecting a 17.4% increase in revenue to post Rs 3,075 crore by March 2004 from the circle.
In an attempt to woo the low income group, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Tuesday announced a new scheme `Sulabh' for basic phone subscribers with the facility of only incoming calls at rentals ranging between Rs 99 to Rs 160 a month.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will reduce ISD (international subscriber dialling) tariffs for Sri Lanka by 40 per cent and to Middle East countries by 20 per cent from October 1.
The government is considering a financial package of Rs 18,515 crore (Rs 185.15 billion) for the state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd for providing services in the rural areas.
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