State-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has informed that it has decided to share its network with private telecom companies for roaming agreements, which will enable subscribers to enjoy seamless connectivity throughout the country.

The decision to permit intra-circle roaming was taken at a recent management committee meeting held in Delhi.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard is expected to sign with the seeking operators initially for six months, only on non-exclusive and experimental basis. The company will sign the first roaming agreement with new telecom operator Swan Telecom.

According to sources, BSNL will levy 52 paise per minute for every outgoing call, and the incremental additional cost of the upgrade of equipment to provide roaming facilities will be borne by the private operators.

It is believed that the rate of 52 paise will be effective for an initial period of six months on an "experimental basis", which could be revised later depending on the volume of business, among other things.

BSNL, through the idle capacity of the network plans to earn extra revenue in coming quarters.

In a separate release, BSNL has signed an agreement with Cable and Wireless India, to offer telecom services and share networks and infrastructure.

As per the agreement, Cable and Wireless will support BSNL to expand its global network, apart from leveraging the state-owned operator's extensive network reach across the country. Both partners plan to invest approximately US$10 billion on network expansion over the next three years.