At a time when almost all global brands are finding it difficult to keep their products under wraps before the official launch, we have BSNL — the public sector carrier — that has managed to launch its EVDO-enabled data services without making much of a flutter! The carrier is offering data cards with EVDO services (which offer speeds of up to 2.2 Mbps while current CDMA 1x services offer 144 Kbps) in several parts of the country. While 3G services are expected to roll out in the country sometime next year, both BSNL and MTNL have received 3G spectrum to give them a headstart over the private players. It is speculated that BSNL is offering these services inover 40 towns in the country and is currently adding more towns to the list. 

But the best part is the monthly rental that the carrier is charging — get unlimited Internet access at 2.2 Mbps for a flat rate of Rs 550! Well, I’m currently paying BSNL more than that for a lowly 512 Kbps ‘broadband’ (wired) service!

Thanks Nimish for the tip!