State-run telecom service provider BSNL will provide unlimited free calls from its landline to any network’s mobile and landline on all Sundays across India from Monday.
This was stated on Saturday by Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha, IANS reports.
Meanwhile, BSNL on Sunday extended to its landline customers the facility of making free unlimited calls on any network on the Independence Day on Monday.
“BSNL customers will be able to make unlimited free voice calling from the BSNL landline to any mobile and landline network in the country on August 15, and thereafter every Sunday,” Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said in a statement.
The telecom company currently offers unlimited night calling on any network in the country between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. as a complimentary service to all its customers.
“This service will be available for all BSNL landline customers, besides existing free calling scheme during night,” BSNL Chairman Anupam Shrivastava said.
“For new customers, we are now providing fixed line connection for a monthly rental starting at Rs 49 for the first six months. Thereafter, the consumer can shift to plan of his/her choice. The lowest monthly rental is Rs 99,” he added.
BSNL has 59.31 percent market share in the landline services market in India. Bharti Airtel is the number two telecom operator in the Indian landline o wireline market with 14.1 percent share in January 2016, according to TRAI statistics. The third largest landline phone company is MTNL with 13.79 percent share.
BSNL has lost 21,546 landline phone customers in January 2016, while MTNL lost 5,108 customers.
Wireline subscriber base declined from 25.52 million in December 2015 to 25.32 million in January 2016. Net reduction in the wireline subscriber base was 0.20 million with a monthly decline rate of 0.78 percent.
The share of urban and rural subscribers in total wireline subscribers was 82.56 percent and 17.44 percent respectively in January 2016. The wireline tele-density declined marginally from 2.01 in December 15 to 2 in January 2016. Urban wireline tele-density and rural Wireline tele-density was 5.30 and 0.51 respectively, said TRAI.