E-Paper
?One India? plan takes off tomorrow
ONE RUPEE a minute call anywhere, anytime and any network from both Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) landline and cellphones will become effective from March 1, 2006.
ONE RUPEE a minute call anywhere, anytime and any network from both Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) landline and cellphones will become effective from March 1, 2006.
Under the new Scheme, the customer will be able to call any place in India either by landline or mobile by merely spending Re 1 per minute.
The ‘One India’ plan, also, for the first time, will take away the distinction between the fixed line tariff and the cellular tariff making the tariff technology independent. BSNL has also reduced local call rates to Re 1 for a three-minute call. But this comes with an increase in rental of Rs 49 to Rs 299 per month from the existing Rs 250.
BSNL Commercial Officer here JPN Mishra told HT Live on Monday that One India tariff plan would be optional. All existing tariff plans would continue to be in operation, including the lower rental scheme in the rural areas.
Under the new tariff package for BSNL's landline users, the local call charges will be Re 1 for a three- minute call within BSNL network (earlier Rs 1.20 for three minutes), while calls to other networks, both landline and mobile will be Re 1 per minute within a state. This was earlier Rs 1.20 a minute. All other calls made from landline or mobile phones anywhere in the country would be charged at the rate of Re 1 a minute, which was earlier approximately Rs 2.40 a minute, BSNL officer said.
For its post-paid mobile services, BSNL has proposed a rental of Rs 299 and the calls to other BSNL subscribers would be at the rate of 40 paise a minute within the state. Calls to any other network across the country (STD) would attract a tariff of Re 1 a minute, he said.
The BSNL pre-paid subscribers are being offered a package of Rs 799 which would include a talk time of Rs 550 for a validity period of 30 days. Under the package, calls made to BSNL subscribers would be at the rate of 60 paise a minute while for other networks it would be at the rate of Re 1 a minute.
Deputy GM Anil K Gupta said that that there would be absolutely no loss of revenue as traffic is expected to increase to compensate any loss. This will be one of the most affordable, customer-friendly and innovative scheme for both local and long distance calls.This has been done to ensure that no waiting list remains, said Gupta.
