BSNL starts India's first internet phone service

State-run telecom firm BSNL on Wednesday unveiled the first internet telephony service in the country that will allow users to dial any telephone number in India through its mobile app. 

Now BSNL customers will be able to make calls using the company's mobile app ‘Wings’ to any phone number in the country. 

Before this, phone calls on mobile apps was possible within users of a particular app and not on telephone numbers. 

"In the present competitive environment, increase in market share by BSNL is laudable. I congratulate the BSNL management for internet telephony which will enable consumers to make calls without SIM," Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said after inaugurating the service. 

Using this service, BSNL customers will be able to make calls on any network in the country by using BSNL wi-fi or any other service provider. 

Telecom Commission, highest-decision making body of the department of telecom, had allowed companies who hold valid telecom licence to provide app-based calling service even by using wi-fi connection. 

The service provider will be required to comply with all the interception and monitoring related requirements and calls will be charged by telecom operators and all rules related to normal calls will be applicable on them. 

The registration for this service will start this week and the services will be activated from July 25 onwards.