BSNL eyes Rs 500cr revenues from VAS

To include new services like video streaming for subscribers this fiscal

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is targeting more than 1,000 per cent increase in its revenues from value-added services (VAS) in 2005-06. In the last fiscal, BSNL earned revenues of Rs 45 crore from VAS like ringtones, news and cricket scores among others.

This fiscal, it is expecting to up this number to Rs 500 crore with inclusion of new services like video streaming for subscribers.

Addressing a press conference organised to launch voice-based VAS for landline subscribers in Andhra Pradesh, A K Sinha, chairman and managing director of BSNL, said, "We had launched these services for our mobile customers sometime back. We are now taking steps to ensure that our landline customers (32 lakh in Andhra Pradesh) can avail of these services too."

Called 'BSNL On Voice', this facility enables BSNL landline subscribers to listen to songs, gift ringtones to mobile subscribers, dedicate songs and get expert opinion on cricket during live matches besides news and jokes.

At present, this facility is available to landline customers in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, this facility is available in English, Hindi and Telugu.

BSNL has partnered with OnMobile Asia Pacific Private Limited, an Infosys Technologies Limited incubated company, to launch 'BSNL On Voice' in nine telecom circles. These services that are through an automatic voice-recognition platform, will be charged at a rate of Rs 1.2 per 30 seconds.

Arvind Rao, chief executive officer of OnMobile Asia Pacific Private Limited, said, "We will be enabling ticket bookings for airlines and buses for BSNL subscribers within the next 6-12 months. We are looking at rolling out several new technologies and platforms with BSNL."

BSNL has also identified 300 hotspots for wi-fi services in the country. In Andhra Pradesh, 24 hotspots will be activated in the next few months for this purpose.