Now, make video calls from your PCO!

Your 3G connection for a video calling is just a corner away. For, the facility is now available at affordable rates at your nearby PCO booth.

The Confederation of All India PCO Franchisee Association expects the new technology to give a new lease of life to more than 20 lakh people dependent on the STD/PCO business in the country.

In the late 90s, the STD/PCO business thrived due to limited mobile connectivity and the long waiting list for BSNL landline connections.

But as mobile penetration deepened and tariff fell, the STD/PCOs soon found their business plummeting.

"Earlier in 1998, every STD/PCO owner used to earn around Rs1,000 per day but now the income is just Rs100. But with 3G, things are likely to change and business will prosper," said Kasiraman, president of Confederation of All India PCO Franchisee Association.

The STD/PCO owners will provide video calling facility at an affordable rate of Rs2 per minute.

Ahmedabad-based Sai Infosystem Ltd (SIS) has tied-up with BSNL for this venture. The facility will be launched in late August or early September, said Sunil Kakkad, CMD of SIS. The company expects a business of around Rs1,000 crore with the introduction of this technology.

There are more than 15.70 lakh STD/PCOs in the country and SIS expects to provide this new facility to around 10 lakh STD/PCOs within a year, said Kakkad.

This new video calling facility will be helpful in the field of tele-medicine, tele-education, and video help lines among others.