BSNL to give 1.5 lakh new mobile connections this yr

Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) would provide 1.5 lakh mobile connections during this fiscal, even as the much awaited 3G Mobile would be introduced very shortly in Coimbatore and Tiruppur, a top BSNL official said today.    

The Coimbatore telecom area is adding 242 new GSM stations, in addition to the 313 existing stations, which would expand the cellular coverage through out Coimbatore and Tiruppur, P T Mathew, principal general manager, told reporters here.    

Claiming that Coimbatore Secondary Switching Area has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 in recognition for provision and maintenance of basic telephone, cellular, high speed internet, leased line data and value added services to the customers, Mathew said that all the telephone exchanges in the area were convered with broadband facility and the service was made available 'on demand'.     

Moreover, 25,000 more new broadband connections would be provided during this year, with the plans available from Rs.99 per month onwards to suit the requirements of all customers, he said.    

Newly introduced cards viz Gulf call now and Small Wonder Gulf call now were available at Rs 250 and Rs 75 respectively with full talk time, with the salient features that ISD calls to Kuwait, Bahrain start from Rs.Four to Rs.4.25 per minute, Mathew said.