The Hindu Business Line : BPL Mobile launches caller ring back tone

Mr Krishna Angara (left), Executive V-P, Business Operations, BPL Mobile, and Mr Subir Ghosh, Chief Operating Officer, at a press conference to announce the Caller Ring Back Tone (CRBT) service in Mumbai on Tuesday. - - Paul Noronha

Mumbai , June 15

WITH revenues from voice traffic showing a dip, mobile service providers are now looking at value-added services (VAS) to enhance their revenue streams. BPL Mobile, for instance, launched its caller ring back tone (CRBT) as part of its basket of VAS products in Mumbai on Tuesday.

"Voice is a plain vanilla service and with airtime rates coming down, the revenues from voice is showing a decline. For BPL itself, we expect revenues from VAS to increase to 20 per cent this year, as compared to 13 per cent last year," Mr Subir Ghosh, COO, BPL Mobile, Mumbai told Business Line.

According to industry estimates, the mobile telephony market in India is valued at Rs 12,000 crore with VAS comprising 10-16 per cent.

While the Indian mobile subscriber base has not saturated, service providers like BPL expect mobile penetration to increase through multiple subscription within the same family and through the array of VAS services on offer.

The new CRBT service has initially been rolled out in Mumbai and within the next 2-3 months, the service provider would introduce this service across India, according to Mr Ghosh.

The CRBT feature replaces standard ring back tones with any tones the subscriber chooses.

This could include sound effects, jokes, personal voice and music clips.

The service is being offered at a monthly subscription of Rs 49 per month with three ring back tones or monthly subscription at Rs 25 per month with one ring back tone. The service provider would charge Rs 15 for change of the RBT.

The subscriber can activate this service and download RBTs through an SMS or call to 666 or by calling the customer care at nominal monthly charge.

BPL Mobile also plans to market the CRBT service to its leading corporate clients as an effective advertising tool.

Mr Krishna Angara, Executive Vice-President (Business Operations), BPL Mobile, said that the CRBT would attract new users.

The company estimates the new CRBT service to have 20 per cent penetration among its existing user base with the base getting scaled up over the coming year, Mr Ghosh added.

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