State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) Friday simultaneously launched its much-awaited third generation (3G) mobile services in 12 cities.
The services have been rolled out on a commercial basis in Agra, Ambala, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Dehradoon, Shimla, Lucknow, Ranchi, Durgapur, Haldia and Patna and in Jammu as a soft-launch, a company statement said.
The telecom giant also announced the 3G tariffs for both pre-paid and post-paid services.
Voice calls will be charged as low as 10 paise per minute under the full value Rs.1,000 plan, while video calls have also been priced economically, starting from Rs.1 under the unlimited Rs.2,500 plan and Rs.2 for long-distance calls.
The 3G services will bring high quality voice services along with high-speed data and video services. The data speed is expected to go up to 2 Mbps or higher.
Applications like video telephony, mobile broadband, mobile television and video-on-demand will be offered to consumers with immediate effect, the company said.
Services like music downloads, video tones, instant messaging, online gaming and bill payment will also be rolled out shortly.
BSNL has invested Rs.27 billion (Rs.2,700 crore) to roll out 3G services in the country. It has planned to cover all district headquarters and important commercial towns in the phase-1 of its ambitious 3G roll-out plan.