Lok Sabha Question No. 2227 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-15
Subject: BSNL/MTNL Broadband Internet Connection
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: MOHAMMAD SALIM, MD. BADARIDDOZA KHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2227 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 TH  MARCH, 2017

## BSNL/MTNL BROADBAND INTERNET CONNECTION

2227.   SHRI MOHD. SALIM:

SHRI MD. BADARUDDOZA KHAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  consumers  of  BSNL/MTNL broadband internet connection are reportedly shifting to private internet service providers on account of BSNL/MTNL allegedly providing erratic and slow internet speed;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the number of such consumers who have shifted to private  internet  service  providers  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year along with the reaction of the Government thereto and the reasons therefor, and
- (c) the corrective steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) The  speed  of  Broadband  connections  is  provided  as  per  tariff  plans  opted  by  the household customers.  After the expiry of the fair usage limits, as per tariff plan opted the speed falls back to the level as defined in the plan. After fair usage plan (FUP) customer has an  option  to  restore  the  pre-FUP  speed  by  making  additional  payment.  Bharat  Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has increased the FUP limit (speed) from 512 Kbps (Kilo-bytes per second) to 1 Mbps (Mega-bytes per second) from 01-08-2016 without any additional cost to customer to provide better speed experience to customer.

The speed mentioned in any tariff plan is the maximum speed that a customer can get.  A  customer  may  get  lesser  speed  at  some  point  of  time  depending  upon  following factors:

- (i) speed of individual website being accessed,
- (ii) processing speed of customer end device,
- (iii) features of the broadband tariff plan chosen by the customer and
- (iv) location  of  server  across  the  globe  hosting  the  respective  web  site  being accessed by the customer.

- (b) There  is  no  mechanism  in  BSNL  and  MTNL  to  observe  the  number  of  Broadband customer shifted to private internet service providers.
- (c) Following steps have been taken by BSNL and MTNL for improving and strengthening the wire line Broadband services in the country;

## Steps taken byBSNL:

- I. Augmentation of broadband speed up to 2Mbps for all the customers.
- II. BSNL has increased the FUP limit (speed) from 512 Kbps to 1 Mbps from 0108-2016 without any additional cost to customer.
- III. Replacement  of  DNS  (Domain  Name  System)  server  with  high  capacity  and latest technology.
- IV. Addition of one more Broadband POP (Point of Presence) at Chandigarh.
- V. Deployment  of  Multiprotocol  Label  Switching  (MPLS)  based  Next  Generation Packet Access Network (MNG-PAN) network in selected cities.
- VI. Up-gradation of 1 G ring to 10 G rings (32 rings)
- VII. Peering/Caching with content providers.

## Steps taken by MTNL:

- I. Augmentation of fibre network.
- II. Implementation  of  Very-high-bit-rate Digital  Subscriber  Line  (VDSL)  Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM).
- III. Bringing DSLAM near to subscriber location.
- IV. High speed Wi-Fi network.
- V. Existing  broandband  tariff  plans  are  being  modified  or  new  plans  are  being launched as per subscriber demand and market competition to provide the better broadband services.

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