Telecom Lead India: BSNL has launched telephones with video calling facility to improve its financial performance.
BSNL will convert existing Public Call Offices (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.
BSNL Chairman and Managing Director RK Upadhyay said the new facilities are aimed at enhancing revenue streams. Most of the revenue of BSNL comes from landline phones.
BSNL will charge Rs 3 for 45 second video call made from VCO which will include 30 percent commission for the franchise owner.
There will be no need to use computers for making video calls for user of these video phones.
AK Jain, senior general manager for Broadband, BSNL, expects good business from this new project. He said that around 770 PCOs have confirmed to shift their business to VCOs and the target is to have 10,000 VCOs set-up across the country.
BSNL will provide various categories of VCO franchisees based on the services that franchisee owners want to provide.
People looking for franchisee will have to pay for VCO devices which start from Rs 25,000 and will have to sign an agreement for the business.
Recently, timeofindia.com reported that BSNL will launch Fibre to Home (FTH) facility for customers seeking internet, telephone and TV channels’ access. A high speed up to 100 mbps on Internet will be given with FTH. Besides, most of the popular TV channels, and landline phone services were annexed with FTH.
For the BSNL FTH connection with a speed of one mbps the customers will have to pay Rs 300 per month, and for 100 mbps it will be about Rs 84,000 per month. Installation charges will be around Rs 1000.
