BSNL Gives Subscribers Facebook Access Without Mobile Internet

State-run BSNL on Tuesday launched a service wherein its mobile customers will be able to access Facebook without any Internet or data connectivity.

BSNL users will be charged Rs. 4, Rs. 10 and Rs. 20 for 3 days, weekly and monthly plans, respectively, the company said in a statement.

The public sector telecom firm has tied up with U2opia Mobile to provide Facebook access through USSD in East and South zones immediately, while the service will be launched shortly in West and North zones.

Unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) technology is used by telecom operators to send alerts to their users. It can be used for pre-paid call-back service, location-based content services and menu-based information services.

BSNL said Facebook for USSD enables users to access their accounts, view/post status messages, respond to friend requests, write on friends' walls, view birthday reminders and send messages without any Internet or data connection.

"Companies today are looking at enhancing the portfolio of offerings to voice and SMS customers and we are really excited to offer Facebook on USSD, given the rising popularity of social media," BSNL Director Anupam Shrivastava said. The service would work on all kinds of handsets.

"These services are perfect for our always-connected customers who want to stay in touch with their Facebook friends - anytime, anywhere, on any mobile," said U2opoia Mobile CEO Sumesh Menon.