BSNL rolls out VVoIP

BSNL kicks off Voice and Video over Internet Protocol (VVOIP) services in association with Sai InfoSystem (India) (SIS). Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister of India on public information, infrastructure and innovation inaugurated the service by dialing the first VVoIP call. The service is rolled out today in Ahmedabad and it will be available across Gujarat by the end of this month. Later, it will be extended to all circles in western and northern zone. “We are confident of adding about a million subscribers in a year and the services will be rolled out across India by the end of March”, said Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay, CMD, BSNL.

VVoIP is available at 40 paise per minute for an audio call and Rs. 2 per minute for a video call within the country. International calls are charged at Rs. 1.20 per minute on landline and Rs. 7.20 per minute on mobile to US and UK. To avail this service, subscribers will have to register by paying Rs. 150.

With this service, BSNL is raising the bar by offering value-based, content-based and data-based services, stated Rajesh Wadhwa, director (CFA), BSNL. He also added that in near future the state-run telco is tossing around to offer data center, hosted and cloud-based services.

Advisor's Advice

Pitroda emphasized, “Broadband enhances quality of life when suffixed with education, it facilitates health services, delivery of public, financial services and entertainment. There is a dire need of creative applications and along with creating open source platform with an appropriate ecosystem to take us to the next level.” Pitroda stated that the real challenge of communication technology is application, and VVoIP is one such application which is easy-to-use, better interface, scalable and cost-effective.

Sam Pitroda said, “First phase of telecom revolution is ending. Second phase of telecom revolution is about to begin, now we are a nation of connected billion, we really need to use telecom institution to really take us to the next level and it is all about broadband and broadband.” He added, “We have huge amount of optical fiber, which is like gold and we need to avail this and create productive asset. We have connected almost all municipalities to optical fiber. And now we need to connect 250,000 village panchayats as well because empowering panchayats is a true democracy.”

Currently, BSNL has sinked from a state of being a 7th largest telecom player in the world, a few years back; hence he suggested that BSNL should focus on market, services, new products, public private partnership, opening up the system and create value to customers and help in reaching out to villages.

Budding projects

During the launch of VVoIP services, Pitroda pointed out that they are working on a project to throw open Government data on a public domain, and it would be in a crystalized form within next five years. “We are designing 'Data Gov' in a box,” he said. This will be helpful in creating apt apps for Indian context which thereby assist to connect rural areas. Their goal is to provide rural connectivity within 24 months. They also intend to link UID, SIM cards and other services.

He pointed out that BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid are working together to quickly connect all 250,000 village panchayats to optical fiber. “Because panchayat is the ultimate form of governance,” he opined. He stressed the need to work on local R&D, applications and production, else India's electronic imports would be highest than any other products by 2020.

While responding to media persons, R K Upadhyay has assured to incorporate all the recommendations made on BSNL, by a committee headed by Sam Pitroda in March 2011.