Lucknow, November 19 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) plans to launch another package for its subscribers — Triple Play — in January. Besides the conventional phone connection, BSNL will also be providing broadband services and cable TV through a single cable.
“We are looking for a manufacturer or supplier who can supply set-top boxes to us at a reasonable price. However, if a consumer wants to install his own set-top box, he can do so and we will charge rental of Rs 200 per month for the cable TV service. If we provide the box, there will be an additional monthly rental of Rs100. We hope to start the service by January next year,” said Sunil Parihar, Principal General Manager, Lucknow circle, BSNL.
According to Parihar, the set-top box, priced between Rs 3000 to 4000, can be bought directly from the market. BSNL is also looking for a franchisee to make the boxes available to their consumers.
According to BSNL figures, there are around 19,000 broadband consumers in Lucknow at present. “Broadband services are one of our top priorities. Besides the existing broadband ports, we have added an additional 35,000 ports to extend our penetration and provide quality service,” added Parihar.
As Triple Play will be using existing infrastructure, BSNL officials do not foresee many hassles in introducing the service at the earliest. Besides converting old broadband and dot phone connections into Triple Play connections, consumers can also apply for a fresh connection. “The earlier rental plans will remain unaffected and additional rent for the cable TV connection will be added to it,” explained Parihar.
“We are also exploring the feasibility of this service in major cities like Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, etc,” he added. However, officials did not disclose the contents of the cable TV section but promised that they will have better to offer than existing satellite service providers and cable operators.
