Domestic fixed-line telephony in India had traditionally been the preserve of the state-owned operators, BSNL and MTNL. In 2001, the Indian government opened up the whole fixed-line telephone business to an unlimited number of operators in each of the defined telecom circles (regions). Prior to this, only one private company had been allowed to compete with an existing state-run player in each circle. VSNL, the former monopoly provider of international telephony, also lost its exclusive status in April 2002 when the international market was opened to competition. This report provides an overview of India’s fixed network voice services and the operators involved in providing these services.
