BSNL slashes ISD rates for US, Canada, Gulf

Triggering another price war in the international subscriber dialling (ISD) space, state-run telecom major BSNL has reduced calling rates to the US and Canada to Rs 1.75 per minute and Rs 6.75 per minute to the Gulf, slightly lower than the rates offered by private firms.

US, Canada and Gulf are the busiest ISD routes from India, and with the
drop of rates, the company hopes to scale up volumes, a senior BSNL official said.

Private players at present offer ISD calls at Rs 1.99 per minute to the US and Rs 6.99 a minute for the Gulf countries.

BSNL will soon introduce Call Now, a new STD/ISD calling card that
will enable a user to call in the US at Rs 1.75 per minute using a card worth  Rs 2,000, which will have a validity of three months.

Call charges on the same card are Rs 3.25 per minute to France, Russia,
the UK and South East Asia, Rs 5.50 per minute to the rest of Europe and Sri Lanka, and  Rs 8 per minute to the rest of the world. Local and STD calls will be charged Re 1 per minute under the plan.

In May, Bharti Airtel dropped ISD charges to the US and Canada, where a Airtel mobile user could call at Rs 1.99 per minute with a Airtel STD and ISD Calling Card worth Rs 2,245.

Reliance Communications has also cut its rates to the US and Canada to
Rs 1.99 per minute on its 'Reliance Global Call Card' worth Rs 1,900. The company had recently cut calling charges to the Gulf to Rs 6.99 per minute.