BSNL to launch mobile services in Rajasthan from April

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) plans to launch cellular services in Rajasthan by April this year. "The company intends to cover all 32 districts and part of national highway-8 and national highway-12 in the first stage. The Nigam, however would first start its services in the cities where no private cellular provider is present", RN Bharadwaj, Chief General Manager Telecom (CGMT), Rajasthan circle, announced this at a press conference. BSNL would provide 50,000 connections in the first phase, he said.

Bharadwaj said that a private company, Ericsson Communication Pvt. Ltd has been asked to provide the necessary instruments in the first phase. He said that this service would include short message service (SMS), voice mail and worldwide roaming facilities among others. 

Talking about the BSNL's Wireless in Local Loop (WLL), he said that the said instruments have arrived for providing WLL service at 24 places in rural areas which would be installed by this fiscal end. He said that the 12,000 lines would be given on these places. In Jaipur, WLL service has enabled the BSNL to provide telephone on demand, he said. So far 1,000 connections have been given in the city he added. He said that after completing its targets in urban areas, the Nigam would now concentrate on the rural areas where it plans to bring down the waiting list by 60,000 from the total number of one
lakh.

For this, the BSNL would install new transmitters, towers and aerials there. A purchase order of Rs 65 crore were issued today, he added. The BSNL was also planning to change half of the total 15 lakh telephone connections in the next two years, he said.

BSNL, which has been celebrating its customer relation week starting from last Monday, would make extra effort to register and install new telephone connections, Bharadwaj said. He added that during the week there would be emphasis on installation of STD/ISD/PCOs at important locations within seven to 10 days.

The CGMT said that during the current fiscal, so far 1.25 lakh telephones have been installed. It has laid down 3,200 km optical fiber cables and 328 new stations have been connected with broad band medium, the CGMT said.

Anil Sharma

Jaipur