The BSNL 3G is now available on quite few places all around the country, and it is available in both the prepaid and postpaid versions, with a wide range of tariffs. Apart from BSNL, only MTNL is the one providing the 3G service right now.
Table of Contents (Click to go below!)
- BSNL 3G Settings – Nokia Phones
- Access Point Names for BSNL Services
- Get BSNL 3G Settings through SMS
- Airtel Live Settings for China Mobiles
- Settings for Laptop – Using phone as Modem
Following are the tips and the configuration settings for the 3G service of BSNL for your mobile phone –
First of all you need to confirm whether your mobile phone is compatible for using the 3G services, which is denoted by UMTS(Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). If that’s available, you can opt to chose the option of dual mode i.e. having the GSM+UMTS together, so that when there is no 3G network around, the device would shift back to the GSM network automatically.
BSNL 3G Settings for Nokia Mobile Phones
In the Nokia mobiles, you would find am option for the Network mode in the Network Setting section, where you can choose between the UTMS, GSM and Dual Mode.
For a Nokia Phone, here is how you can make the settings configured –
First set the mobile into Dual mode, where the mobile chooses which network it has to opt to, depending on the availability of the particular network band.
Then you have to set the access point for the BSNL 3G service, just like the GPRS accounts for any network carrier. BSNL has various Access point names for its different services, and with different locations around the country.
Go to Menu > Settings > Connection > Access points (Try deleting all other ones)
Options > Create New
Connection Name > BSNL 3G
Data Bearer – 3G
Access Point Name – (Check the below lines for the different access point names)
User name –
Password –
Prompt password – No
Authentication – Normal
Homepage – www.google.com
Access Point Names for BSNL Services
- The access point name for the East India region, and most of the other regions is “bsnlnet”.
- For the South India, especially the Chennai regions, the access point name is “gprssouth.cellone.in”
- If both didn’t work, you might have to try “gprs3g.bsnlmobile.in” as there is no unified access point name all around.
- bsnlnet is the normal Access point name that is also used in the computers when using the mobile phone as a modem.
- bsnlive – APN for the GPRS browsing through the mobile phone.
- bsnlmms – APN for the sending and receiving of MMS on the mobile phones.
- bsnlstream – APN for viewing BSNL Live and Hello TV, along with the other TV content.
For everything to work correctly, you need to make sure your device is compatible with the 3G services.
Get BSNL 3G Settings through SMS
If you are lucky enough and BSNL has your phone model saved in its database, you can receive the configuration settings for BSNL 3G on your phone through SMS. To get the same, you need to send an SMS to 58355 which is a toll free SMS number, and for the different services, you need to send one of the following texts as SMS, following the below instructions –
- Send SMS as BSNL to 58355 for the settings of bsnlnet, bsnllive, bsnlstream, bsnlmms
- Send SMS as LIVE to 58355 for bsnlive
- Send SMS as TV to 58355 for TVStream
- Send SMS as NET to 58355 for bsnlnet
- Send SMS as MMS to 58355 for bsnlmms
Settings for Laptop to use Mobile phone as Modem
One of the best and advantageous things about the 3G service of BSNL, is the usage of the same internet connectivity on the laptop too. Not just using the mobile phone as a modem to connect with the laptop but the netbooks which as the SIM card slot, can use the BSNL 3G SIM for the service.
Here is how you can set the things –
- Go to Control Panel > Network & Internet Connections
- Under the header named Pick a Task, click on Create a connection to the network at your workspace.
- You will now see “New Connection Wizard” box, and select “Dial-up connection” and click Next.
- Give the connection name as BSNL 3G
- Enter the Phone Number as *99***1# (This won’t work for everyone, so try *99# too if that fails to work)
- Then finish the setup, along with the placing of a desktop shortcut for the connection.
From there you can start the connection to the 3G network of BSNL, by either connecting your phone or else by directly using the 3G SIM in the netbooks.
Other guides in this section –
BSNL 3G Manual Settings
Vodafone GPRS Settings
Airtel GPRS Settings
BSNL 3G manual settings for mobiles & laptops