BSNL to expand its networks in Naxalite Areas
India’s government has ordered BSNL to spread out its networks in poorly served areas which are presently suffering from naxalite terrorism. These areas have been inadequately served by mobile networks, either due to economic reasons, or because of the ongoing terrorist revolt.
The Naxalites are Maoist communist group in India, leaders of the Naxalite-Maoist riot. They have a method of attacking mobile phone networks and taking down their towers – after claiming that the police use the networks to track their mobile phones.
According to a government official, the move to level mobile communications is part of the UPA Government’s inclusive growth agenda.Once people get access to mobile services it can strengthen their economic condition, which in turn have an enduring force on naxal activities.
BSNL has been inculcated to roll out 500 new base stations across 31 districts in Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The districts being enclosed include Dantewada, Dhanbad and Singhbum, which are some of the worst naxal- affected areas in the country.
There are already about 1,500 mobile towers in these 30 districts covering about 40% of the geography. The additional 500 towers would take the coverage to about 50%.
TATA and BSNL enter Network Sharing deal (India)
Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL), India’s fastest-growing pan India telecom service provider, today announced the signing of a landmark ‘Master Services Agreement for Passive Infrastructure Sharing’ with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
Becoming the first Indian private telecom operator to enter into an agreement of this nature. The agreement which is valid for 15 years will be applicable to both Tata Teleservices Limited and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited in all of India’s 22 telecom Circles.
This is a moment of pride for us, as we have become the first private telecom operator to enter into such a strategically important agreement with BSNL, one that will allow us to expand our telecom footprint across the country much more quickly,†Mr Madhav Joshi, President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Tata Teleservices Limited, said.
The agreement comes at a very strategic time for Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited (TTML), as both companies have been aggressively expanding their network presence on the CDMA side with Tata Indicom, while also rolling out GSM services under the TATA DOCOMO brand name. In the short space of just three months, we have already rolled out our GSM services in nine Circles—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh and Haryana,†Mr AG Rao, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Teleservices Limited, said. This agreement has the potential to not just speed up our network expansion and rollout process, but would also have a substantial impact in terms of reduced costs,†he added.
Under the terms of the agreement, TTSL and TTML will have access to thousands of BSNL towers all across the country.
BSNL to offer handsets for Rs 1000
With a view to tap the huge rural market for mobile telephony, state-owned BSNL has started providing handsets with new cellular connections.
“We have joined hands with two handset manufacturers – Nokia and Mototrola to begin with. There are other companies who have offered handset at less that Rs 1,000 (a piece),” BSNL CMD A K Sinha told PTI.
Asked whether BSNL has ensured the quality of the handsets, he said, “We are still evaluating the option given by companies for sub Rs 1,000 handsets. We shall ensure the quality first and then these would be supplied to subscribers.”
BSNL, which has over 2 crore (20 million) mobile subscribers in the country, is targeting smaller towns with a population base of 2,000 or 2,500.
Even the SIM costs have fallen to its lowest of just Rs 150, he said, adding this along with lower handset prices would go a long way in tapping rural markets.
On the subsidies offered on mobile connections like free talk time over a period of time, Sinha said BSNL has been coming out different schemes from time to time targeting both low as well high-end users.
Sinha also admitted that there was some problem in getting instant connection only in the Western region in states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat. Other than these states, SIMs were available on demand in rest of the country, Sinha said.
Source- http://www.rediff.com
Technorati : BSNL, India, Mobile
Ice Rocket : BSNL, India, Mobile
