Tata Teleservices, a basic and mobile telephony services provider in Gujarat, has opened 2,000 public call offices in the state during the last four months and is now aiming to open 700 more PCO booths by June.

TTSL seeks to launch its services in seven more cities in the state by May end. It is also planning to launch its public telephony business in these towns.

It will be launching services in Vapi, Navsari, Anand and Bardoli by April end while services will be offered in Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Gandhidham by May end.

"We are getting tremendous response to our newly launched PTB segment on the lines of Andhra Pradesh and have already opened 2,000 PCO booths in three major cities - Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat while booths are being opened in Rajkot and Gandhinagar, where we have launched our services very recently.

"Another 700 new booths will be opened in all 12 towns and cities where we will be present by the end of May," said Jagrut Vyas, chief operating officer of TTSL's Gujarat circle.

Though TTSL launched its basic and code division multiple access technology-based mobile services in the state in phases since last December, it did not focus on PTB which has been witnessing a good response lately.

To attract the existing PCO owners (with BSNL connection), TTSL has launched a scheme called "Suvarna." Under this scheme, TTSL will be providing PCO owners everything from telephone connections to billing instruments, fabricated booth, monitors and display units.

"A PCO owner will need to pay us Rs 19,995 as the total package cost in which Rs 3,995 will be refundable deposit with us. Besides a PCO owner will also be getting a higher commission ranging between 18-20 per cent of the total business. And our technical staff will take care of any break down," Vyas said.

The company has also launched a new scheme, called "Shubh Labh," to bring non-traditional businessmen in this trade. "We are also looking at good business from shop-keepers, not in the PCO trade, but who want to have an additional source of income.

Under this scheme, a PCO owner will have to pay only Rs 6,995 to us and he will be getting a commission of 3-7 per cent of the total business generated," said he.

TTSL is now readying a separate dealers network to manage the PTB segment in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, and it is also planning to appoint business franchisees in Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Gandhidham,

Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Vapi, Navsari, Anand and Bardoli.

"We want to keep PTB as a completely separate segment which is contributing 10 per cent to our turnover initially. We want to make it a steady revenue generation stream in due course," added Vyas.

According to him, TTSL has already garnered 25,000 subscribers in the state during its four months of operation in phases and it is targeting to generate one lakh subscribers by December end.