BSNL cuts ISD rates for US, Canada & Gulf

Triggering another price war in the ISD segment, state-run telecom major BSNL has reduced call rates to US-Canada and the Gulf to Rs 1.75 per minute and Rs 6.75 per minute, respectively, which is slightly lower than the rates offered by private firms.

US, Canada and the Gulf nations are the busiest ISD routes from India and with the drop in rates, BSNL hopes to scale up volumes, a senior BSNL official said. Private players at present offer ISD calls at the rate of Rs 1.99 per minute to the US and at Rs 6.99 a minute to Gulf countries.

BSNL will soon introduce a new STD/ISD calling card, Call Now, which will enable a user to call US at the rate of Rs 1.75 per minute. The Rs-2,000 card will have a validity of three months.

Under this plan, local and STD calls are charged Re 1 per minute.

In May, leading private player Bharti Airtel dropped ISD charges to the US and Canada, charging users Rs 1.99 per minute with an Airtel STD and ISD Calling Card worth Rs 2,245.

Reliance Communications had also cut its rates to the US and Canada to Rs 1.99 per minute on its "Reliance Global Call Card" of Rs 1,900.

The Anil Ambani group company recently cut call charges to the Gulf to Rs 6.99 a minute.