BSNL not to venture into border areas

Staff Correspondent

Shillong, January 16: Even as many Indian villages located along the Meghalaya stretch of Indo–Bangladesh depend on the spillover sigls of the Bangladesh cellular phone providers, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has not stepped into these spaces due to absence of a commercially viable market.

This was made known by the Chief General Mager of BSNL (North east circle 1) DP Singh during an exclusive interview with The Sentinel on Friday.

Singh said that the department was aware about the Bangladesh phone sigls that are available in the fringes of the Indian territory and informed that only the Union Ministry of Telecom and Information technology can intervene and jam the penetrating sigls.   

Stating that the BSNL is a corporate–driven establishment which looks at the commercial feasibility aspect before launching any venture, the CGMT referred to the border villages as ‘scanty habitations’ that will not yield any revenue to the company.

“Yes, we are ready to enter any playfield that can bring about healthy returns,” stated Singh while ruling out any immediate entry into these fringes that depend on Grameene Nitel and Go–Bangladesh mobile service providers to communicate with the rest of their countrymen.

The Chief of BSNL (NER) also pointed out the constraints of his company due the annual loss in course of expanding its services in the State and the circle. The loss incurred by BSNL in 2013–14 was around Rs 75 crore, informed Singh.  

Divulging the steps taken by BSNL to reached the unreached areas (although commercially not feasible) in the past few years, Singh said, “We have extended our services  into these non–profitable border stretches through the funds called as Universal Service Obligation Funds (USOF). But that fund has already been stop.”

“If those funds are provided to us again, we can have the BTS installed and possibly cater to these unconnected areas,” Singh further stated. While there are villages which promise free land for installation of the tower and other logistics, the CGM, however, said that the question of electricity, man power, connections and other allied needs also comes into play to make a viable business.  He also said that there were cases that BSNL has been tempted to extend its services in non–viable areas due to public request.

Meanwhile, Singh agreed that there are technical gadgets that can make the penetrating sigls ineffective. “The Ministry of telecom and Information technology alone can act on this”.

Early this week, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police (SP) of India raised this issue with the 28–member delegation from Bangladesh. The Bangladesh team headed by Md Saidul Islam, District Magistrate of Sylhet, has agreed to take up the issue with the Bangladesh mobile phone service providers.