Thursday, 14 June 2007

To Increase Connections, BSNL Bundles Data Card

In a bid to increase revenues from data services, state funded telecom operator, BSNL is planning boost its revenue by bundling PC data card with its cellular connections...

In a bid to increase revenues from data services, state funded telecom operator, BSNL is planning boost its revenue by bundling PC data card with its cellular connections targeting the frequently traveling customers to access Internet and download data.

Today Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited or BSNL as it is known gets only five percent of its revenues from data services. The Data Card or GSM modem is a wireless network card that fits into laptops. The card offers data transfer speed of up to 153 kbps. Like a GSM mobile phone, a GSM modem requires a SIM card from a wireless carrier, like BSNL, to operate.

BSNL wants to bundle EDGE/GPRS PC Data Card with its cellular mobile connections and has sought offers from companies willing to offer this.

BSNL's Tri-band PC Data Card (enabling voice, video and data) will be suitable for use on GSM, GPRS and EDGE in home and roaming networks worldwide.

The data card will provide data connectivity to users with highest possible data speed via GSM network, enable rapid download of large attachments, streaming video, audio.

It will also enable to send and receive SMS via GSM and GPRS quickly and can be used in all popular Notebook PCs, Portables and PDAs.

BSNL's entry may bring the much-required downward revision of the prices of data cards currently prevailing in the market at Rs 10,000-Rs 13,000.

BSNL may be a late entrant in this segment as three other top operators, Tata, Reliance Communications, on CDMA and Bharti on GSM have already launched these cards to boost their revenue.

Since BSNL is yet to launch the data cards, it's prices are not known at this stage. In the industry the roaming charges are nominal around Rs 100 per month and rest of the tariff remains the same.

While Tata and Reliance offer roaming throughout India, Bharti offers roaming in some circles. GSM users can also cash in on the international roaming arrangements and also use the cards in their laptops while traveling abroad.