BSNL GOING VIDEO CALLING FACILITY FOR LANDLINE

Landline phones with video calling facility, from BSNL

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the State-run telephone services service provider has launched telephones with video calling facility.

BSNL has partnered with Sai InfoSystem (India) Limited to launched telephones with video calling facility which will primarily be used to set up public Video Call Offices (VCOs), replacing the Public Call booths (PCOs). This launch yesterday, plans to boost the revenues of the company, since a major source of the revenue are the landline phones.

“There will be no need to use computers for making video calls for user of these video phones. We will convert existing PCOs to VCOs with these phones. People will be able to make voice calls to any phone and video calls to any other IP (internet based) phone," said R K Upadhyay, Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL. The call charges will be Rs 3 for 45 second video call made from the VCO which will include 30 per cent commission for the franchise owner.

According to A K Jain, Senior General Manager for Broadband, BSNL, around 770 PCOs have confirmed to shift their business to VCOs. BSNL is seeking to have about 10,000 VCOs set-up across the country for the people to avail this facility.

BSNL is also planning to launch 'Fibre to Home' (FTH) facility by the end of this month, for customers who are seeking internet, telephone and TV channels' access. For this BSNL plans to offer a high speed (up to 100 mbps) Internet connection with the FTH.