E-recharge facility for BSNL mobile users

Recharge vouchers wroblem for pre-paid mobile customers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), especially those in the metros and larger cities, as the company has finally woken to offer the e-recharge facility.

BSNL may even consider phasing out its recharge vouchers depending on the results of its pilot project being carried out in Bangalore in association with Oxygen Ltd.

Oxygen currently offers e-recharge for pre-paid customers of all major telecom service providers in the country.

As per the deal, Oxygen will provide retailers with hand-held devices, which will allow the customer to recharge for any denomination.

Following this, the retailer will offer the customer the electronic 16-digit pin number, equivalent to what is offered by a recharge voucher.

"For BSNL, the advantage is two-fold. As Oxygen is associated with a large number of retailers, we foresee a significant increase in our delivery chain.

"Customers will no longer have to visit a company outlet or a BSNL franchisee for the same.

"Also, with e-recharge, we save on the cost of plastic cards and the logistics involved -- this works to Rs 17 per recharge voucher," explained a BSNL executive.

The move will also help BSNL address lingering complaints about shortage and non-availability of pre-paid vouchers in some cities.

"The project will soon be expanded to Karnataka circle and then to other circles in the South," he said.

On the commission front, the current rate of 5 per cent of the recharge voucher will be maintained.

"We will give 5 per cent to Oxygen, which in turn will pass on a part of the amount to the retailer," added the BSNL executive.