According to Mr Rajan, BSNL is likely to launch its mobile telecom brand by late November or early December. With BSNL's entry, Chennai will have three mobile telephony operators. The private cellular operators inChennai circle are Skycell (Bharti) and the RPG Group. Besides, BSNL is also in the process of offering Internet services to its subscribers soon. "BSNL will install an Internet node at Chennai as a part of National Internet Backbone, with 34 mbps connectivity to VSNL gateway soon.

By this, Chennai Telephones will also become an ISP along with VSNL and other private Internet service providers," Mr Rajan said. On the transmission front, Chennai Telephones has lined a number of plans including offering bandwidth on demand, which would be of immense help to the new technology companies including multi-media firms, Mr Rajan said. The Chennai Telephones will also upgrade its access netwrok by updating its technology to Digital Loop Carrier System, High Speed Digital Subscriber Loop System besides scrapping the remaining Analog Electronic Exchange by converting it into digital exchange, Mr Rajan said. Chennai Telephones will also improve its access network by introducing Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) technology. Chennai Telephones would provide 5,000 lines using EDMA technology initially and would later increase it to 45,000 lines, he added. He said, Chennai Telephones would introduce Digital Loop Carrier to subscribers' premises to increase reliability and bandwidth. He said with thelaunching of multiple value-added service, BSNL and Chennai Telephones might consider offering differential packages to customers for a basket of services.