Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has targetted 5.75 lakh broadband connections in its Karnataka Circle during 2009-10 from the current status of 4.25 lakh. BSNL general manager (Operations) Farooq Amin said in Mysore the Circle’s current year development plan has targeted 3G GSM at 80,613 and 2G GSM 22,59,387, WLL 1,91,300 and Wi-Max 1,200.
The current GSM position is 23.19 lakh and WLL 4.28 lakh. The circle has 21.47 lakh landlines, 2.26 lakh internet connections and 2.40 lakh PCOs with 2,749 exchanges, he said recently. The fault rate was 6.05 per cent per 100 per month, against the TRAI benchmark of 6 per cent, but in April last the achievement was 4.65 per cent. Of the fault complaints received, 81.36 per cent were cleared the same day last year, almost near the TRAI target of 82 per cent, while in April last it was 88.59 per cent.
Fault cleared by next day was on par with TRAI benchmark of 96 per cent (96.55) in April, as against 92.76 last year. The percentage of faults cleared within three days was 98.14 last year (against 100 benchmark) and in April, it was almost the same at 98.28 per cent. On its achievements in April, Amin said percentage of billing complaints resolved both in respect of basic and mobile services within four weeks was cent per cent. In respect of basic services, the meantime to repair was 6.90 hours, call completion rate 66.29 per cent, and billing complaints issued over a billing cycle was 0.03 per cent.
In mobile services, the call set up success rate was 96.07 per cent against the TRAI benchmark of 95 per cent and the call drop rate was 1.13 per cent against
In broadband services, the TRAI benchmark had been more or less achieved in April last in the Karnataka Circle, with cent percent achievement in provision of broadband within 15 days, percentage of billing complains resolved within four weeks and refund of deposits within 60 days of closure.
BSNL had set up 373 customer service centres throughout the State, some of which are kept open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., where customersôgrievanceequest on any aspect of BSNL services are received. Customers can also directly book and monitor their complaints in its website, which will be attended by a web-based complaint handling tool PGRMS.
In accordance with TRAI regulations, BSNL had set up a three-tier mechanism for redressal of customers’ grievances and published manuals for consumer complaints and taken steps to ensure supply of usage details to all mobile customers. It had set time limit for redressal of complaints at its call centres, which operated 24/7. The manual of practice for consumer grievance handling and other information is available to customers on demand at customer service centres, the General Manager added.