MTNL voice SMS on fixed, mobile phones

NEW DELHI: State-run MTNL on Tuesday launched voice SMS service for its fixed and mobile subscribers in Delhi with technological support from the US-based value-added services provider Kirusa.

This is the first time that fixed line subscribers will be able to receive Voice SMS service. The corporation hopes to garner strong revenues from this value-added service.

The subscribers will have to shell out one rupee per minute to send, forward or reply to a voice SMS message.

There are no charges for listening to such messages for the first time, but hearing it again will cost rupee one per minute.

"The Kirusa Voice SMS is a unique convergent service that works seamlessly for fixed and mobile customers of MTNL. We believe that it will generate heavy usage as it provides value to our entire subscriber base," MTNL Executive Director A K Arora said.

This service would also be available to MTNL subscribers in Mumbai shortly.

Company Executive Director (Operations) K C Gupta said, "We are confident that the Convergent Voice SMS will be heartily adopted by the MTNL subscribers, and we plan to market this unique service to our customers aggressively."