The parliamentary committee expressed dissatisfaction with the declining subscriber base and quality of service of the government-owned BSNL during a meeting on Monday. Some members of the committee even cited personal experiences of poor service on their BSNL mobiles to illustrate their concerns.
During the briefing to the Estimates Committee, officials assured the panel of an improved service within the next six months. They mentioned plans to equip nearly one lakh mobile towers with 4G service, a substantial increase from the existing 24,000 towers. BSNL officials highlighted the company's reliance on indigenous technology as part of the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" initiative.
Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal and BSNL's CMD were among the senior officials present at the meeting. Discussions primarily revolved around the organisation's performance, particularly concerning its 4G and 5G services.
The committee members expressed concern over BSNL's dwindling market share, which has dropped to around seven percent, with private operators becoming the preferred choice for mobile connections. They also noted unsatisfactory service received on BSNL SIM-equipped mobile phones, a sentiment shared by all MPs who are provided with BSNL phones.
Officials informed the committee that approximately 54,000 towers are ready to be installed with 4G technology, with more in the pipeline. They expressed confidence in BSNL's ability to meet the target of 100,000 towers within six months. Additionally, they mentioned that the transition from 4G to 5G is technologically feasible.
In other news, TRAI has warned about suspicious calls and messages asking for number verification. Many users have reported receiving calls and messages claiming to be from TRAI, threatening to deactivate their numbers if they are not re-verified. TRAI urges users to be cautious and not respond to such communication. They have stressed that TRAI never asks for number verification or threatens disconnection through calls or messages.
Any such communication could be fraudulent, and users are advised to report such instances to the Government of India's Sanchar Sathi Chakshu portal immediately. In case of fraud, individuals are urged to call 1930 without delay.
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Inputs from PTI
