State-owned telecom firm BSNL today said it plans to add 2.2 crore subscribers next

RELATED ARTICLES Airtel, Axis tie-up for mobile banking services Pvt telecom operators owe over Rs 550 cr to BSNL: Govt BSNL, MTNL market shares fall to 14.42% in 5 years BSNL requests Rs 8,314 cr refund for surrendering BWA spectrum

fiscal and is mulling foray into the mobile banking and advertising space.

"Next year (2010-11) we are keeping a target of 22 million mobile connections-- 20 million 2G connections and two million 3G," Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's (BSNL) Director (Consumer Mobility) R K Agarwal told PTI.

Agarwal also said BSNL is working on a mobile banking platform. "We have tested a platform, by which money can be transferred. Pilot testing has been done in Chandigarh on money transfer through (money) order by SMS."

"We are in touch with the Postal Department, along with whom we will roll out mobile banking," he said, adding that the proposed roll-out would be done step-by-step as RBI has a "cautious policy" as "they have to check frauds which may occur".

BSNL plans to launch mobile advertisements in two-three months, Agarwal said, adding that it expects a pick up in this business only in a year. "We are going to launch mobile advertisement services, location-based services and a host of multimedia services".

For the current financial year (2009-10), BSNL's target is to achieve 1.8 million subscribers, of which 1.4 million have been added so far, he said. Mobile services business for the year ending March 31 is expected to be at Rs 10,500 crore.