A limited access mobile phone service, wireless in local loop (WLL), is being launched by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in Abmedabad from this monthend. The WLL will enable a subscriber to use his normal telephone as a mobile phone with the help of a handset within a 24-km radius in Ahmedabad.

BSNLs Gujarat Telecome Circle Chief General Manager P K Chanda’ said they are starting with a limited 13,000 connections. The BSNL's own cellular Mobile phone operations will be launched by December.

"The WLL is available in Railwaypura, Navrangpura: and Vastrapur exchanges. We will provide a handset to the subscriber besides a normal telephone, which will be attached to this. The handset, which can be charged and has a battery life of 24 hours can be carried around and you can use the phone attached to it to make or receive calls. Right now its access is limited because we have few communication towers but by the end of the year, we should be able to increase the range," Chanda said. The handset can be carried in a car or in a bag.

But the service-comes a little costly. The instrument deposit is Rs 10,000, which is refundable with an installation charge of Rs 800. There is a security deposit of Rs 3,000 plus registration charges of Rs 500. "But the call charges are just Rs 1.20per unit ie for three minutes. Though its range is limited, the low rate per call is the USP," Says Chanda.

The BSNL is also-launching another WLL mobile service, which has a 5-km radius only.

The good news for Internet users is that the BSNL is planning to slash rates to Rs. 500 per. 100 hours after its NIB mode is fully operationally shortly.

Briefing newspersons, Chanda said the BSNL overshot its target by 128 per cent, laying 608944 new telephone lines against a target of 474100 in 2000-2001.

"This- has taken the current telephone density of Gujatat to 4.87 per hundred persons which is the highest in the country with an overall growth rate of 24.8 per cent," Chanda Claimed.

Speaking about development plans for 2001-2002, Chanda said a target to provide 6.5 lakh new telephone connections has been fixed for the current financial year. " Out of this, 140,000 connections will be provided through cellular mobile technology and 13,000 connections through WLL."

Republished from Indian Express