Lok Sabha Question No. 120 (STARRED), answered on 2016-11-23
Subject: Services of MTNL and BSNL
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.120 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD  NOVEMBER, 2016

## SERVICES OF MTNL AND BSNL

†*120 SHRI NANA PATOLE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the landline and broadband services of BSNL and MTNL  get badly affected due to frequent damage to underground cables and cable theft;
- (b) if so, the action being taken by the Government to improve the situation;
- (c) the timeframe laid down for carrying out repair and actual time taken to repair 2G-BTS and 3G-BTS in various districts of Maharashtra;
- (d) whether the Government has any scheme of providing 3G services in all districts under Phase VIII in Maharashtra; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the time by which the said services are likely to be provided?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (  e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK    SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.120    FOR  23 RD NOVEMBER, 2016 REGARDING 'SERVICES OF MTNL AND BSNL'.

- (a) There are some incidents of damage of underground cables and cable theft, due to which landline and broadband services get affected for some subscribers of Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  and  Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam  Limited (MTNL).
- (b) Following steps are being taken by BSNL/MTNL to improve the situation:
- /head2right Since  majority  of  faults  in  lines  arise  out  of  damage  to  cables  due  to landslides, road works etc., close coordination is being done with the Local Bodies, PWD (Public Work Department), gas, electricity,  water utilities  and NHAI  (National  Highway  Authority  of  India)  authorities  etc.,  to  prevent damage of cables.
- /head2right During night hours, cables exposed during development / maintenance work are patrolled by staff of BSNL and MTNL.
- /head2right Patrolling is being done along the cable routes to minimize the cable theft.
- /head2right Theft prone manholes are being sealed.
- /head2right Cable  theft  alarms  are  installed  over  the  span  of  primary  cable  and monitoring is being done properly.
- /head2right Utmost care is being taken to prevent the incidents of theft and damage of underground cables.
- /head2right Instructions have already been given to all the field units to closely monitor the  Fault  Repair  Service  System, to  improve  the same  day  fault clearance and next day fault clearance.
- /head2right Time to time rehabilitation and up gradation of external plant.
- /head2right Lodging FIR with the police.
- /head2right Regular  meetings  are  held  with  Police,  State  Administration,  PWD  and Municipal Authorities, etc.

(c) BSNL has reported that repair of 2G BTS (Base Transceiver Station) and 3G BTS  are  being  normally  attended  promptly  and  are  being  monitored  at  OMC-R (Operation and Maintenance Centre-Radio) centrally.  Normally, there is no/little delay in attending to faults except for certain occasions where there is media interruptions/card shortage.  In such cases, it takes few days for restoration.

MTNL, Mumbai has reported that BTS faults are normally attended same day. Time frame for repair is 4 hours to 24 hours depending upon severity of fault.  Actual time taken for repair is within the given time frame.

(d) & (e) Under Phase-VII project, all the District Headquarters/ Tehsils of Maharashtra  circle  are  already  covered  by  3G  services.    BSNL  has  provided  3G services  in  371  towns  and  cities  of  Maharashtra  including  all  Districts  of  the  state. This will be further augmented under Phase-VIII, for which tender has been floated.

MTNL is also providing 3G service in its license area of Mumbai.

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