MTNL offers ISD calls @Re. 1 for 150 countries

Aug 25: Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) operating in Delhi and Mumbai has launched internet telephony or Voice over internet protocol for providing cheaper ISD calls to the subscribers.

This is to be known that subscribers would be able to make a call to any country at the rate of just Re 1 per minute through their fixed land line phones. The best part of the offer is that one does not need to have computer at home for internet telephony.

MTNL has taken this bold initiative which other companies avoided till yet for the fear of loss of revenue but this venture of MTNL may prompt or compel them to initiate the same services. Thus MTNL has become the first such company in India to provide internet-telephony.

What the subscriber is needed to do for taking advantage of the service is that one has to subscribe to MTNL’s broadband connection for which the subscriber will have to pay monthly rental starting at Rs. 199 and install an Analog Telephone Adaptor (ADA) from telecompany @ payment of Rs. 1500. Apart from this the subscriber will have to pay Rs. 500 for registration and installation charges.

With adaptor attached to the fixed phone the phone converts into an (IPD) internet protocol device and one can make calls even without computer and internet connection.

Those having computers if subscribe to MTNL internet telephony the call rates of internationals would be as low as 10 paise per minute.

Till yet broadband internet providers provided internet telephony @ 50 paise per minute and more. The limitation of this service is that one needs computer for that.

MTNL will utilize its broadband network to offer this service that is too without personal computer. This move of MTNL will definitely affect the market scene.

BSNL has also given indication for starting these services.