Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Info-Tech
-
Telecommunications Private telecom operators pull the plug off 700 VPTs Thomas K. Thomas
New Delhi , April 17 Private telecom operators may be adding subscribers but when it comes to village telephony it is left to the State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. Private fixed line operators have quietly pulled the plug off nearly 700 village public telephones (VPT) over the last one year even as BSNL has taken on the responsibility by adding about 3,000 VPTs between December 2004 and December 2005.
VPT numbers
According to data available with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Bharti Televentures has disconnected the largest number of village phones during the period. The company, which offers fixed line telephony services across 10 circles has brought down its VPT numbers from 607 in 2004 to zero at present. Himachal Futuristics Communications Ltd (HFCL), which offers telephony services in Punjab, has decreased its tally by about 105 bringing down its rural coverage to 630 villages. The other State-owned company Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has also completely wiped out its VPT even as it had 191 village phones in 2004. While operators agree that VPT through wireline technology was unviable, they said that the disconnections have been due to the fact that it was no more mandatory. "These village phones were part of the initial fixed line licence which we have surrendered. So there is no obligation anymore. But we have taken the universal access licences through which we have covered 58,000 villages by December 2005 using cellular technology," said a Bharti spokesperson. The Government, however, is still sticking to its target of reaching VPTs in 6.2 lakh villages from 5.3 lakh at present most of which will be done by BSNL.
More Stories on : Telecommunications | Regulatory Bodies & Rulings | Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd
Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page
|
Stories in this Section |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2006, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|