BSNL ties up with Pantel, post offices in Madhya Pradesh in digital push

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has tied up with India Post and a Noida-based private company, Pantel Technologies, to sell mobile phones through post offices in Madhya Pradesh.

Under the tie-up, which is in line with 'Digital India' initiative, India Post will sell Pantel's Penta Bharat Phone PF 301 through post offices and BSNL in turn has entered into an agreement with Pantel Technologies to offer 1,999 minutes of free talk time over a period of 18 months. The phone is also priced at Rs1,999.

Chief postmaster general of Madhya Pradesh Circle M E Haq on Wednesday handed over the first mobile phone handset to a buyer, launching sale of mobile phones from head post offices.

These phones will initially be sold in all head post offices and some other major post offices in the state and gradually cover all other post offices in the state.

Penta Technologies, meanwhile, is planning to launch a couple of low-priced smart phones over the next few weeks.

India Post started mobile phone sales through post offices last week in Himachal Pradesh, from the head post office there.

The postal department had earlier, launched a pilot sale in four southern states, which the officials claimed was a big success.

Over 70,000 phones were sold in a period of less than a year, and the project was being launched in other states too, a postal department official said.

Penta PF 301 is a keyboard-operated phone that has several attractive features like - 2.8-inch wide screen, dual sim, FM radio, audio player, torch, and camera - and is internet enabled.