Keeping in view the growing demand for data centre services, state-run telecom operator, MTNL, plans to open five data centres this year, its Chairman and Managing Director said.

The PSU today launched its first two data centres at Worli and Belapur and plans to open one each in Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad in the current year.

"The data centres would provide an impetus to the MTNL's data focused strategy and will be a new business stream for the company. We will open three more such facilities in Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi," MTNL's Chairman and Managing Director, Kuldip Singh, told reporters here.

The Mumbai facility, being launched in technical collaboration with IIT-Bombay's Gigabit Networking Laboratory, will be operational next month, Singh said.

He did not divulge any details on the overall project cost or identities of its customers.

However, Singh said that the operator has bagged the passport service for the upcoming Chennai facility and is in talks with an international content service provider for its Worli (Mumbai) facility.

These data centres will not only cater to the growing demands of international firms but also SMEs.

On its broadband penetration, Singh said that it has a capacity of 16-lakh subscribers. It already has 9-lakh customers in Delhi nad Mumbai. This year it is targeting to add another 2.5-lakh subscribers in both the cities