MTNL earns Rs 40 lakh from Mauritius

State-run MTNL has successfully launched cellular services in Mauritius both in pre-paid and post-paid segments and started generating revenues of up to Rs 40 lakh a month from its long distance operations.

"Although all services (fixed line, cellular and ISD) would be available on commercial basis from march this year, the initial soft launch itself has generated lot of interest among the people there and we have started getting revenues of up to Rs 40 lakh a month from our ISD operations," MTNL CMD R S P Sinha said today.

MTNL had acquired licence last year for offering these three services and has planned to invest about $25 million (about Rs 105 crore).

"Whatever I had visualised in the ISD services' revenues on completion of setting up the network has almost started coming right away... This is a great beginning keeping in mind that we are managing operations there with just 13 people," Sinha said, adding that a gateway has been set up for routing ISD traffic.

He said MTNL has already got interconnection with Mauritius Telecom and other operators. "We have entered into an agreement with the Tatas-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) for carrying our international long distance traffic."

Asked about the tariffs for cellular services, Sinha said: "Our tariffs are most competitive compared to others and we have decided to keep the pulse rate at one minute and subsequently per second."

Sinha said MTNL would be offering cellular services on CDMA platform, along with CDMA-based fixed wireless services. The company is planning to set up the network involving over 55 base stations in two phases.

In the first phase 28 base stations would be set up, he said work on which is in full swing, he said.

Mauritius being a tourist place, MTNL is hoping to grab a major chunk of business from the pre-paid segment.

Besides, Mauritius, MTNL is also looking at other options of investing overseas on which plans are yet to be finalised, Sinha added.