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MTNL's Netfone-Spyk VoIP services

MTNL had tied up with Aksh Optifibre to be its network and technical partner to offer VoIP services. The MTNL offer is open to those who do not have a PC at home.

Customers using this service will be able to make international calls just as they can from a normal telephone without needing to use a PC. Such customers are required to subscribe to MTNL’s broadband connection (for monthly rentals starting at Rs 199) and buy an analog telephone adapter for Rs 1,460.

“With the launch of our VoIP service, we will now be providing three in one services i.e. Internet, VOIP and IPTV simultaneously to our customers through a single MTNL telephone connection. Our target is to reach a subscriber base of 1 lakh by the end of the next fiscal year and we will be investing Rs 110 crores within the next the next three years,” said Kailash Choudhari, MD, Aksh Optifibre.

The present system capacity is 50,000 VoIP subscribers and the target fixed is 10,000 connections for this financial year and 50,000 connections for the subsequent fiscal.

This facility will also be available to all MTNL PCO holders. The service was launched initially on a prepaid basis. Prepaid cards will be available in denominations of Rs 100, Rs 500 and Rs 1, 000 with a validity of three months, six months and one year respectively with full talk value.

The call charges from VoIP to PSTN / Mobile phone to US, UK, Canada, and Australia will be Rs 1 per minute, and for Japan, Malaysia Rs 2 per minute. The service will be available to about 150 countries.

Shri RSP Sinha, CMD, MTNL said, “The induction of VoIP into MTNL’s list of services is the result of relentless efforts to provide consumers the benefits of technology at the most affordable prices. We are all set now to connect the people of our country with the world and I am confident that people will be delighted with the service and demand will certainly increase.”

BSNL is also looking to offer Internet telephony or VoIP by the end of 2007.