The state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the GSM player Aircel has inked the 2G Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) agreement on pan India basis. This would be the first agreement between a state-owned operator and a private telecom service provider.
The Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) is a service that enables a mobile station of a given public land mobile network (PLMN) to offer services from another PLMN in the same country on a location area basis, with automatic return to the home PLMN.
BSNL looks forward to sign more of similar deals in future as a means to increase revenue. "We are looking at a revenue potential of Rs 500 crore on annual basis through ICR agreements with other operators," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI in a media interaction last month.
This agreement allows both BSNL and Aircel to utilize each others resources and network strength, thus enhancing customer experience. According to reports, BSNL will charge 25 paise per call for a minute, 3 paise an SMS and 25 paise per MB for data usage. The telecom firm will pay the same charges to other operators for using their network.
