Cellnext plans to offer M-paper services via mobiles

You will soon be able to read your favourite newspapers on your mobile phone. Cellnext Solutions Ltd, a value-added service provider, is gearing up to offer M-paper services to users.

The company is carrying out a pilot run with mobile service provider Idea Cellular to deliver news on mobile phones and wants to offer the service at a cost lower than what newspaper bills amount to. Even photographs can be viewed on mobile phones under the service.

Ajay Vaishnavi, chief operating officer of Cellnext Solutions, said: "M-paper service is a multi-media publishing platform. Unlike the 160 character SMS-based news headlines, M-paper will offer full stories with images, text, and audio facilities. The service will be available on Multi Media Services (MMS)-enabled phones."

Although the publishers will decide on the content that is to be offered through the service, it is expected to have around 20-25 stories and about five pictures. It will be the first of its kind in the mobile industry and the company plans to take it to foreign countries after its launch in India.

"Two English dailies have shown keen interest. We are also in initial talks with some foreign operators," Vaishnavi said.

The service will be initially available to most GSM operators. The company is also planning to offer it to CDMA operators.

If things go according to schedule, "the service is expected to be available to consumers at around Rs 50 a month by November," he said. The company is also planning to offer it in Hindi and regional languages.

The M-paper will not be confined to hard news but will offer other popular features like matrimonials, contests, and Bollywood news.