Stung by landline customer loss, BSNL to upgrade poor network

NASHIK: The Nashik unit of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has floated tenders for upgrading its network in the city, which includes laying optical fibre and copper cables as well as facilitating regular landline and broadband connections and fibre to the home (FTTH) services.
The BSNL is facing major problems in fulfilling the demand of the customers. The BSNL had long back scrapped the 'waiting' list and the company now directly rejects the connections sought by prospective clients marking them as 'technically non feasible' (TNF).

"I am willing to take wired broadband from BSNL. My last two applications were filed with the BSNL in January 2014 and then in May. Both times the BSNL CIDCO office said that the connection was 'technically non feasible' as there was no scope for providing me connection. They are losing potential customers this way," Ram Deshpande, a resident of Sai Ram Colony, Kamathwade, one of the growing areas in the city, said.

Similarly, there are customers from Pathardi Phata and Shankar Nagar (Gangapur Road) who have been rejected the new wired connections by the BSNL. "I went to the BSNL thrice in the last one-and-a-half years seeking landline connection. I even raised the same query during the BSNL's consumer day programme at its office, Canada Corner. All they promised was a wireless connection in the local loop service. We do not believe in wireless service largely because of its fluctuations. It seems the BSNL is not interested in giving connections," Sandesh Khatal, a resident of Shankar Nagar, said.

The BSNL officers narrated their old story of having pointed out 13 areas in the city that are growing fast and have been marked for laying of optical fibre cable for wired connections. The BSNL has OFC infrastructure ready for FTTH.

But that has failed to get a good response. The FTTH connections have just touched 297 connections even after more than two years of its launch and the biggest hurdle happens to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) that costs Rs 12,000 per unit (outright purchase) or Rs 150 per month rental. "I want wired landline with broadband and they are offering me FTTH. Why should I pay this huge an amount?," Ritesh Rane, a resident of Pathardi Phata, questioned.

Nashik general manager of BSNL Sureshbabu Prajapati said the company had now floated tender and measures would be taken to ensure that the maximum connections are given. "Through the tenders we are gearing up to lay lines across those parts of the city where the network is growing and also adding more to the infrastructure where there is good demand for the connections. By March-end we should be in a position to dole out more wired landline connections," the officer said.Sources : Times of India   

No comments: