BPL supports SMS in regional language

CHENNAI: BPL Mobile Cellular, a mobile communication service provider in
Tamil Nadu (except in Chennai), Pondicherry, Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa, has
launched short messaging service (SMS) in regional languages, for its
subscribers. The company is supporting messaging in three languages such as
Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi, which will be followed by Marathi and Konkani,
shortly. The SMS in regional languages service is provided by using Coded
Picture Messaging Technology (CPMT) and BPL mobile subscribers can now
send/receive SMS by keying in the given code numbers for set of pre-configured
messages.

"We are charging only 50 paise per message in Tamil, while Malayalam and
Hindi would attract Re 1 per message," said Ajay Awasthi, head - Products
& Services, BPL Mobile Cellular Ltd.

The SMS in regional language service is available only with select Nokia
handsets, which are enabled with picture messaging technology.

"The service is provided with the company's indigenously developed
software, which access pre-configured messages in vernacular languages stored as
images, from the server. All a subscriber has to do is type the relevant code
number for sending a message from the pre-configured set," said Subir Ghosh,
Deputy Chief Operating Officer, BPL Mobile Cellular Ltd.

The company expects its SMS traffic to grow substantially after introducing
this service. "According to a research conducted by the company, 30 per
cent of our subscribers who are not using SMS prefer to use SMS if it is
available in their mother tongue. So this service will definitely bring more SMS
users in the days ahead," said Ghosh.

BPL has developed over 50 pre-configured messages, which are frequently used
in day-to-day life and are planning to introduce e-greeting service for the
coming festive season.

The company has eight lakh subscribers in four circles from where it operates
and according to the company, subscribers in Tamil Nadu region alone generate
one lakh SMS per day, while it is five-lakh with overall subscribers.

BPL Mobile Cellular is also in talks with a couple of manufacturing companies
in Taiwan and China to bring handsets with multi-lingual keypad.