By Grace Jajo
IMPHAL June 19: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), one of the largest and leading public sector units providing comprehensive range of telecom services in India is determined to attract more customers of its landline and mobile customers with the introduction of Wi-Fi Hotspots, NGN and slew of fresh scheme to match with other private telecom services providers in the state of Manipur as well.
Talking to this reporter, General Manager BSNL Manipur J Lunkim said that Night Time Free Calling scheme of BSNL offers free night calling to any network both local and STD from 9 pm till 7 in the morning to all the landline customers since May 1.
He maintained that under another scheme, landline with 500 plan are now provided with 24 hours free calls to BSNL networks inclusive of both landline and mobile customers besides the free night calls to all networks since June 1.
BSNL is also the pioneer Telcos operator to offer free national roaming for one year starting from June 15 under the leadership of Minister of Communication & IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad. Hence BSNL is free of incoming call charges while roaming for both prepaid and post paid customers even in the service areas of MTNL like Delhi and Mumbai. Now irrespective of subscriber`™s plan, outgoing charges during roaming are as per the ceiling provided by TRAI @ 80p/minute for local and 1.15/minute for STD calls. Except for Voice/ISD STVs, SMS/Data STVs are applicable in the Free Roaming scheme across India, he elaborated.
Asserting that free SIM offer for 64K SIM and reduced cost offer for 128K SIM on all new prepaid connection is a promotional offer phase for 90 days since June 1, he informed that under this revised scheme one can get a new 64K SIM for free by paying only Rs 30 instead of Rs 59 for the 128K SIM.
Simultaneously BSNL has also revised the rates of data packs, combo packs, ISD rate cutters and other rate cutters, voice STVs and SMS STVs, he added.
Responding to a query on the fluctuating internet service in the state, the General Manager BSNL of Manipur explained that the cable link till Dimapur is efficient to provide fast internet service. However, one of the two links from there to Kolkata via Guwahati is down for the last ten days and the whole traffic is relying on the other lone link thereby slowing the connectivity.
He assured speedy restoration of the long distance connectivity at the earliest taking into account of the importance of internet access to the people irrespective of location.