Date:20/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/20/stories/2006012020510300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

BSNL launches new plans

Special Correspondent

200 towers to be ready by March 31

Bangalore: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. is determined to make its CellOne services competitive with offerings from private operators, freebies and all. To start with, 200 towers are coming up and will be commissioned by March-end, solving the problem of connectivity especially in Bangalore.

Chief General Manager, Karnataka Telecom, S. Ramaganapathy told presspersons on Thursday that a life-time prepaid package `Excel Anant' is being offered with a SIM card of a face value of Rs. 949, talk value of Rs. 99 and to be recharged at least every six months.

Call charges are Re. 1.60 per minute within BSNL network, Rs. 2 for other networks, within Karnataka. For calls outside the State, the charges are Rs. 2.40 per minute within the BSNL network and Rs. 3 for other networks.

Plan 999

Another new offering is Plan 999 with an Axia handset. With an initial registration charge of Rs. 500, activation charge of Rs. 200 and monthly fixed charges of Rs. 999, customers get free calls worth Rs. 700.

BSNL has made some changes for recharge coupons, and the Rs. 5,000 coupon will give you talk value of Rs. 6,000, valid for one whole year. The Rs. 1,000 recharge coupon gives full talk time and can be activated up to January 31. On recharge coupons of Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 3,000 activated by the date, 25 per cent additional talk time is allowed.

Prizes distributed

With BSNL mobile connections in the State crossing the one million mark, the Chief General Manager handed over prizes to the millionth postpaid customer Vasudeva Rao of Bangalore and prepaid customer Pradeep Patel of Tumkur.

For landline users too BSNL has some attractive offers. Customers in Bangalore can now register for a new connection just by calling a toll-free number; the application forms will be collected at your doorstep and processed.

SMS Power Plan

For the youth segment, there is an SMS Power Plan with a monthly tariff of Rs. 198 and 2,000 free SMS within BSNL network. Beyond that, each SMS will cost 40 paise.

In the DataOne broadband services, Bangalore still stands first in the country with 52,700 connections so far and installation charges have been waived till March 31. Additional capacity of two lakh is to be provided during 2006-07. For technical assistance, the help desk (25514444) can be contacted between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.