BSNL announces mobile TV service 'Ditto TV' and limited fixed mobile telephony

New Delhi: State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Monday announced mobile TV service 'Ditto TV' and limited fixed mobile telephony. The app helps in virtually turning mobiles into cordless phone working in sync with landlines within home premises.The company said that the service is "different" from the contentious Fixed Mobile Telephony service it announced last year but was forced to put on hold following a vehement opposition from cellular operators.

"The earlier service allowed customers on roaming in India and overseas to connect their landlines through mobile and make calls through them...But this service is restricted within the home premises," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

Shrivastava said he did not anticipate any objection to this "restricted" service.

To avail the service, customers will need BSNL's landline, mobile, broadband connectivity.

"Landline subscribers find it inconvenient to fetch the contact details from mobiles and then dial the number on fixed line...This service will turn mobile handset into a cordless device within the home premises, which means that customers can still avail the attractive landline tariffs of BSNL like free calls on Sundays and night time calling," Shrivastava pointed out.

A BSNL statement said that the "smartphone needs to download the app and with connectivity with BSNL broadband modem (say on Wi-Fi), customer can receive and also be able to make outgoing calls...On smartphone handsets. This service is in no way linked with mobile operator service or customer SIM in mobile handset," the statement clarified.

The limited FMT service can be availed as add-on service, the statement said adding that separate telephone number will be provided to customer to avail this service. Limited FMT call charges will be as applicable for basic service, it pointed out.

With PTI Inputs