The Hindu Business Line : BSNL launches online triple play service

Pune has earned another distinction to be the first with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd launching its online triple play broadband service. BSNL would be offering its customers voice, data and video. Talking to presspersons, Mr R.L. Dube, Director, Planning and New Services, BSNL and Mr G.K. Agarwal, Principal General Manager, BSNL, Pune, said the implementation of triple play or multi play, has been done immediately after the tripartite agreement between BSNL, MKCL (Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd) and Divinet Access Technologies Ltd.

He said the proposed content-based services would be first made available to its broadband customers, which number about 35,000 in the city. After the trial phase is over, which would take about two months, the entire city could avail the services. He noted that these services would be rolled out in Chennai and then in Bangalore.

Mr Agarwal said the services would currently include about 80 free to air channels, few pay channels and video on demand content. The current tariff for the free channels is about Rs 100 and pay channels would be charged Rs 200. However, he noted that these were only figures that were being discussed and were not the final figures as it had to be competitive to fit the pockets of the consumers. The second phase of rollout services would include gaming, TV based education, audio, T-commerce and PVR (personal video recorder).

Mr Dube said the target was to reach a level of one-lakh broadband customers within the next five months. The Ministry of Telecommunications had given a target level of five million broadband connections in the country by 2007 and he noted that order for broadband equipment had already been placed for three million and would be increasing this to touch six million.

Broadband Expansion

It may be noted that BSNL has decided to award the implementation of the broadband expansion to four players — UT Starcom, ZTE, Siemens and ITI. He added that BSNL is looking for multiple tie-ups with content service providers.

More Stories on : Broadband | New Products & Services | Maharashtra

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Making IT solutions work for air cargo operations

`Windows scores over Linux in cost of ownership'

Developing talent for BPOs

More rigorous check on staff background

BSNL launches online triple play service

B-school Insead selects Zyme Solutions' model as case study

Software sector posts robust performance

First Indian on ICANN board