BSNL Launches 'New Plan Voucher' With Free Voice Calls at Rs. 144

BSNL Karnataka Circle on Friday introduced 'New Plan Voucher' for Rs. 144 as a promotional offer under prepaid mobile services.

All voice calls (Local/STD) to all operators is free for first 30 days with the Rs. 144 pack, BSNL said in Bengaluru. Customers can also have an option to get the free unlimited calls for three months by paying Rs. 439 at the time of taking new connection, BSNL said in a release.

As a fair usage policy, calls to other networks is limited to 30 minutes per day, it said. The Rs. 144 BSNL promotional offer in Karnataka Circle is for all new customers and customers of other operators who want to port in their numbers to under MNP, it said.

Last week, cellular operators under COAI approached telecom regulator TRAI against state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL's) new limited fixed mobile telephony services.

BSNL's limited fixed mobile telephony service is an app-based calling service that virtually turns mobiles into cordless phone working in sync with landlines to make and receive calls within home premises.

COAI has asked TRAI to intervene and direct BSNL to withdraw the new service saying that the service although being marketed as "distinct" is "in-principle same version of their Fixed Mobile Telephony (FMT) services" which was launched last year and subsequently withdrawn.

The operators - all except Reliance Jio, which COAI said has divergent views - have further said that the new service is disguised as a Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN service and violation of numbering plan and breach of licence conditions.