BSNL cuts ISD rates to the Gulf, Sri Lanka

NEW DELHI: Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) has cut ISD call rates to the Gulf by 20% to Rs 9.60 per minute and to Sri Lanka by 40% to Rs 7.20 per minute. The new tariffs will come into effect from October 1.

Calls to the Gulf and Sri Lanka now cost Rs 12 per minute. “A large number of people are working in Gulf region. We wanted to give them Onam gift,” said S D Saxena, director (finance), BSNL.

The company has an ISD traffic of about 2bn minutes per annum. The Gulf and Sri lanka contribute about 10% of this traffic. BSNL’s new tariffs are in line with the tariffs offered by private operators. For instance, Airtel offers one-minute calls to the Gulf and Saarc regions for Rs 9.90.