State-run telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) on Monday decided to upgrade landline broadband speed to minimum 2 Mbps at no additional cost for broadband customers on pan-India basis from October 1.
Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the facility here.
The BSNL's move came in the light of Narendra Modi government's Digital India initiatives.
Speaking on the occasion, Prasad said BSNL works efficiently in natural calamities and it has proved this in Jammu and Kashmir floods, Nepal earthquake and Andhra Pradesh cyclones.
"When BSNL can deliver its services well in natural calamities, then it should be able to provide better services during normal conditions," he said.
Directing the BSNL authorities to evolve a system of complaint redressal, the union minister also asked them to do marketing. "I want your interface with people more frequently."
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The country is passing through a changing phase, he said, adding that BSNL has to play a significant roel in it.
He recalled that he was minister for communications in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government as well and when that government left in 2004, BSNL was in profit of Rs.10,000 crore.
Prasad said once again he has been given the same responsibility and during analysis of records, it was found that BSNL was running in loss of Rs.8,000 crore. "At that very moment I said that BSNL has to improve and I will support."
He said that BSNL is also offering 1Gb free E-Mail box to their customers from 50 Mb mail box.
The minister said the speed upgradation will benefit all the existing and new Broadband customers of BSNL.
Under this scheme, BSNL is upgrading the speed of existing Broadband plans of 512 Kbps and 1 Mbps to 2 Mbps speed with no extra charge.
"The speed upgradation will benefit all the existing and new broadband customers of BSNL. Under this scheme, BSNL is upgrading the speed of existing Broadband plans of 512 Kbps and 1 Mbps to 2 Mbps speed," the BSNL said in a statement.
BSNL launched the broadband services over its landline in India in 2005, with speed of 256kbps and above over the state-of-art multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) -based IP infrastructure in urban as well as rural areas.
"This upgradation shall enhance customer experience while surfing on internet and enjoying live video streaming by all customers even in the low price range. This scheme is expected to attract new customers for subscribing BSNL Broadband customers in an affordable manner," the statement added.
Also present on the occasion was union Minister of State for Planning (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjeet Singh, who said the nationwide facility would give boost to the IT industry.
CMD of BSNL Anupam Srivastava and CGM of Haryana Circle Ambala R.C. Arya were also present on the occasion.