Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) was set up in 1st April of the year 1986 by the Government of India to upgrade the quality of telecom services, expand the telecom network, introduce new services and to raise revenue for telecom development needs of India's key metros, Delhi (the political capital) and Mumbai (the business capital of India). The company has also been in the forefront of technology induction by converting 100% of its telephone exchange network into the state-of-the-art digital mode. MTNL as a company, over last nineteen years, grew rapidly by modernising the network, incorporating the State-of-the-art technologies and a customer friendly approach. The Company providing various types of telecommunication services including Telephone, telex, wireless, data communication, telematic and other like forms of communication (Internet).
First digital exchange world technology brought to India by the company during the year 1986. In the year of 1987, Largle Scale came to existence, introduction of push button telephone made dialling easier. Phone Plus services was offered by the company in the year 1988, it gives multiplied benefits to telephone users. During the year 1992, the company introduced Voice Mail Service. MTNL had introduced the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) services in the period of 1996. In the year 1997, the Wireless in Local loop was introduced. In addition to phone plus facilities like dynamic locking, call waiting/call transfer, hot lines etc were extended to the customers. Apart from this IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) like local assistance changed number information, and fault booking system ensuring round the clock service, a CD-ROM version of the telephone directory and an on-line directory enquiry through PC was introduced during the year 1997. To facilitate the clientele, MTNL launched the country's first toll-free service in Delhi in the period of 1998. During the year 1999, MTNL brought in the most widely using service called Internet (Network of Networks), the extreme level of information exchange. Millennium Telecom Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of MTNL was formed in 17th February of the year 2000 to do practically any type of Telecom Business with a focus on value added services, which was started its operation in Himachal Pradesh in association with HPSEDC from 25th Feb 2002 itself.
During the year 2001, the company launched GSM Cellular Mobile service under the brand name Dolphin and in the same year MTNL also launched Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) Mobile services under the brand name Garuda. MTNL has formed a Joint Venture company in Nepal by the name of United Telecom Ltd. (UTL) in collaboration with Telecom Consultants India Limited (TCIL), Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) and NVPL (Nepal Ventures Pvt. Ltd., a Nepalese Company). The Company is operational since 10th October 2001 for providing WLL based basic services in Nepal. CLI based Internet express service was added with the service line of the company in the period of 2001. The Company made tied up with Billjunction.com in the year of 2001 to provide online bill presenting and payment facility to its customers. The Company launched pre-paid GSM Mobile services under the brand name Trump during the year 2002, and in the same year MTNL's Email on PSTN lines were introduced under the brand name mtnlmail.
MTNL had set up a new software venture called ComSoft for developing communications software in the year 2002, as a part of its strategy to offer value-added communications software in e-commerce, e-governance and intelligent networking. The Company brought in to market, the CDMA 1x 2000 Technology under the brand name Garuda 1-x in the year of 2003. During the same period MTNL introduced pilot project of ADSL based Broadband services and also launched the Virtual Phone services. Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Ltd. bagged second operator license in Mauritius. The company has joined the hands with Nokia, Samsung for WLL handsets in the year 2003. MTNL has set up its 100% subsidiary as Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited. (MTML) in Mauritius, for providing basic, mobile and international long distance services as 2nd operator in Mauritius. Necessary licenses have been obtained in January 2004. MTML has already started its ILD & CDMA based basic services in Mauritius. In Mauritius against the switching capacity of 50K, 8K telephone connections are working.
The Company established Wi-Fi & digital certification services in the identical year. MTNL bagged the award for excellence in cost reduction in the year 2004. State of the art training centre of the company 'CETTM' was commissioned in the year of 2004. The Company introduced the broadband services under the brand name of 'TRI BAND' during the year 2005. The Company made partnership with Red Hat through its CETTM centre in the same year of 2005. MTNL-STPI IT Services Ltd is a 50:50 Joint Venture between Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and the company. The JV formed in 2006 combines the STPI's rich experience as an ISP and MTNL's track record of being India's leading telecom operating company to offer niche portal services to the Indian community. The Company has restructured Millennium Telecom Ltd (MTL) as a Joint Venture company of MTNL and BSNL with 51% and 49% equity participation respectively.
MTNL (Mumbai) has joined hands with Contakt Tech Solutions India in the year 2008 for Express alert, a new value added service for the subscribers. Public sector telecom service provider MTNL on June 18th of the year 2008 received the much-awaited International Long Distance (ILD) Licence from the Department of Telecom (DOT), a development that could signal further lowering of ISD rates as the PSU is gearing up to carrying its own traffic in the near future.
To remain market leader in providing world class Telecom and IT related services at affordable prices, the company partaking its all efforts in the same business area and MTNL wants to become a global player, also find a place in the Fortune 500' companies.