No new cell subscriber in Jan for BSNL in Gujarat: COAI

Public sector telecom major disputes data

State-owned telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has not added a single cellular subscriber in January in Gujarat, even as it has exhausted the capacity of its cellular network in the state.

According to figures of the Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI), the cellular subscriber base of BSNL in Gujarat, which was 5,20,505 at the end of December 2004, has remained unchanged at the end of January. However, BSNL has disputed this, stating that the figures are incorrect.

Having exhausted its pre-paid capacity, BSNL has already announced that it is setting up the required infrastructure to add 13.5 lakh new connections.

Ashok Bhandari, chief general manager, BSNL (Gujarat), stated that post-paid connections are still being issued and within the next few weeks, the company will announce about the new capacity for both, the pre-paid as well as post-paid segments.

"Why should the COAI comment on cellular figures of BSNL in Gujarat. BSNL is not a member of the COAI. The company has been issuing post-paid connections in the state and we have not exhausted that capacity still. In fact, the capacity expansion plan is as per schedule and we will shortly announce the new capacity, which will mean that both pre-paid as well as post-paid connections will be available on demand," said Bhandari.

BSNL has replaced Lucent Technologies with Alcatel India for upgrading the existing cellular service network in Gujarat.

Having invested a sum of over Rs 200 crore in setting up the present cellular network in Gujarat, BSNL is expected to invest an additional Rs 200 crore at least in expanding the network.

Growing rapidly for a year and a half, the slowdown for BSNL's cellular customers began in November 2003. From a subscriber base of 4,79,474 at the end of November 2003, the subscriber base has grown marginally to 5,20,505 by December 2004, a growth of less than 50,000 subscribers in over a year.

In June last year, BSNL had chalked out a strategy to add an additional capacity of 13.50 lakh connections in the state by the end of the fiscal.

To be implemented in two phases, 3.50 lakh new connection capacity will be made available in the next three or four months, while the remaining ten lakh connection capacity is scheduled to be made available by the end of the current fiscal.