It is the biggest ever expansion of mobile phone networks in India.
Now any customer can make audio video calls at will on any landline, mobile or Internet Protocol phone anywhere in the world, provided that both the ends have requisite video phone equipment.
Public sector telecom major, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), is all set to launch its 3G operations in 700 cities across north and east India by June and east India by June and in the south by July, a senior company official said.
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd have entered into a strategic alliance, under which the two public-sector telecom companies will jointly offer their voice and data services.
The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a petition filed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India challenging an order of TDSAT holding that the regulatory body had no authority to adjudicate on disputes raised by a service provider.
Close on the heels of the announcement of revised interconnect usage charges by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd said on Monday that it will have a "relook" at all tariff structures
Senior Indian Telecom Service officer A K Sinha on Thursday assumed charge as the chairman and managing director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
Telecom monolith Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is the top profit-making public sector unit, while steel giant Steel Authority of India Limited had the dubious distinction of topping the list of loss making state-owned enterprises.
The US company will provide equipments for BSNL's network expansion in southern India aimed at adding 2.3 million subscribers in the region, it said in a statement. Under the terms of the contract, Motorola will ship GSM network equipment and provide a network services programme, including both software and hardware support, the statement added.
The minister said the reasons for withdrawal of landline connections includes preference for mobile phones, move to private operator, disconnections due to non-payment of dues and surrendering of second telephone taken for get internet connection due to availability of broadband. The total number of landlines in the country as on March 2008 is 39 million, which was 4 crore in March 2007. At present, BSNL has 31 million landline users while MTNL has 3.68 million users.
Expressing concern over decline in the share of public sector companies BSNL and MTNL in overall telephones during the last five years, the government on Friday asked them to plan for an additional 100-150 million lines over the next three years.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam will be able to provide mobile connections to wait-listed subscribers within two months as major expansion programme is likely to be over by January 2005, according to K G Sharma, chief general manager of BSNL, Maharashtra circle
Sam Pitroda said that the MTNL-BSNL merger is not the only solution and asked the government to give them more autonomy by lowering its stake to below 51 per cent.
Union Minister for State for Communications Ashok Pradhan has said the government will provide 'substantial' relief under a special package, on basic and mobile phones of BSNL, being presented as gifts to sisters on Raksha Bandhan on Tuesday.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is unlikely to participate in the tender floated by Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited to carry its STD traffic in Delhi and Mumbai even as the NYSE-listed MTNL has agreed to pay some of the STD dues immediately.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed Reliance Infocomm to pay up a balance Rs 84.7 crore to BSNL for the demand of Rs 182.7 crore made by it for using the 'home country direct' services.
Indian consumers will have their tryst with 3G telecom services in the next six months, with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announcing that it is issuing state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) spectrum to roll out all-India services.
With an aim to provide cheap connectivity to students, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Thursday announced a new basic telephone tariff scheme for students to access Internet with a monthly rental of Rs 99 and a usage charge of 60 paise per three minutes.
State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Wednesday indicated a reduction of upto 15 per cent in international long distance call rates especially for the US and UK.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Friday reported a 9 per cent growth in net profit at Rs 12,434 crore in January-March quarter of FY24, helped by improved margin and strong performance of its India business. The largest software services exporter had reported a post tax profit of Rs 11,392 crore in the same period of the preceding fiscal. In the entire FY24, the company's net profit surged 9 per cent to Rs 45,908 crore, while the revenue rose to Rs 2,40,893 crore from Rs 2,25,458 crore registered in FY23.
The first quarter results (Q1FY25) of Indian IT services hint towards better fiscal growth than the preceding year, but as the management commentary said, "there is still some time for the industry to be firing on all cylinders." Among the majors-Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, HCLTech, and Wipro-it is the Bengaluru-based Infosys that has performed better, which was also evident in its full-year revenue guidance.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd plans to provide broadband services in a big way in 2004 and would introduce the service in seven major cities in the country, including Chennai, BSNL chief managing director Prithipal Singh said on Thursday.
The companies would set up a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer network that allows telephones to connect faster to the internet, IBM said. BSNL will use the network to offer new broadband-based, multi-play services.
In a major bonanza, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is planning to offer its 36 million customers an accident insurance scheme free of cost.
BSNL, MTNL to match cell phone tariff cuts
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has got two Mhz of additional spectrum from Department of Telecom to support its growing mobile subscriber base in the country.
BSNL will use the investment for mobile expansion and for services like 3G, broadband, wireless broadband, IPTV, WiMAX, mobile commerce (m-commerce), value-added landline, Enterprise Resource Planning and others.
Department of telecommunications has set up a committee to look into the issue of escalating cost for the project.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has failed to get security clerance from security agencies for its monitoring equipment installed in the International Long Distance Network, a glitch that may further delay the PSU's ILD entry.
IT company HCL Infosystems on Wednesday announced entering into partnership with state-run telecom operator BSNL for offering low-cost broadband-enabled computers in rural areas to bridge the digital divide.
The chairman of the committee on public undertakings, V Kishore Chandra Deo, said in a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar that despite categorical instructions, Goyal did not attend the meeting, sources said.
According to a senior company official, BSNL is in the process of appointing recovery agents on a commission basis to bring back the money.
Telecom regulator TRAI has said private GSM operators were acting as a "cartel" against MTNL and BSNL and charging higher tariffs from customers for calls terminating in the networks of the two state-run companies.
The Delhi high court restrained BSNL on Thursday from awarding contracts for its Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) GSM network expansion project till November 30.
UP is the first state, where Novatium has launched these products.
