Calling your relative or friend in the United States of America (USA) will now cost you Rs. 5 per minute instead of Rs. 36 per minute. That's if you are using the internet telephony service - the latest in the field of telephonic conversation through the internet.

Wilnet Communications, Gujarat's first Internet Service Provider (ISP) and a Cadila Pharmaceuticals Group venture, launched 'WilIcall', its IP net telephony service in association with US-based Deltathree Corporation on Friday. This makes Wilnet the second internet telephony service provider in the State after Icenet.

Talking at a press conference, I.A. Modi, Chairman of Cadila Pharmaceuticals Group said Wilnet will be able to enroll a high percentage of its captive dial-up internet savvy customers for this service as almost 50 per cent of Wilnetonline customers are in the over 100-hour rate Plan.

The prepaid card will be available for Rs. 150, Rs. 350, Rs. 650 and Rs. 1,300. "Apart from this, there are customised packages for corporates and small and big enterprises," informed P.K. Agarwal, Vice President (operations), Wilnet. According to Agarwal, internet telephony has a market share of 5-7 per cent of overseas traffic worldwide.

Gujarat, which contributes almost 20 per cent of the total overseas traffic from India, has a market of Rs. 30 crore per annum and Wilnet expects a minimum turnover of Rs. 5 crore from this business in the first year, said Agarwal.

Initially, the service will be available in seven cities; Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Mehsana, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Gandhidham - where Wilnet has internet nodes and the marketing emphasis will be on retailing, cyber cafes and Small Office Home Office (SOHO).

Republished from Indian Express