Lok Sabha Question No. 1761 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-09
Subject: Landline Telephone Service
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RAMA DEVI, SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE, RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY, PONNUSAMY VENUGOPAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1761

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 th  DECEMBER, 2015

## LANDLINE TELEPHONE SERVICE

## †1761. SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI: SHRI SADASHIV LOKHANDE: SHRI RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY: DR. P. VENUGOPAL :

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the  revenue  earned  and  expenditure  incurred  by  BSNL  and  MTNL  on  landline services;
- (b) whether a large number of complaints regarding landline services of these PSUs have been received;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year alongwith the procedure adopted for repair of telephone and attending the complaints;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure fault free landline services and the action taken against the officials responsible for such large number of complaints;
- (e) the details of automated and modernized telephone exchanges in the country as on  date,  along  with  the  details  of  proposal  for  setting  up  of  such  new  telephone exchanges State and location-wise including Maharashtra and;
- (f) the details of incentives such as reducing the monthly rental and increasing the free  calls  given  and  proposed  to  be  given  to  subscribers  for  promoting  the  landline telephones?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) earned revenue of Rs. 12,009.30 crores from  landline  services  during  the  year  2014-15.  The  details  of  expenditure  only  on landline  services  are  not  captured  in  the  book  of  accounts  of  BSNL  separately. Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam  Limited  (MTNL)  earned  revenue  of  Rs.2,986.66  crores from  landline  services  and  incurred  an  expenditure  of  Rs.  3,955.07  crores  during  the year 2014-15.
- (b) to (d) The details of number of complaints regarding landline services of BSNL and MTNL are given below:

|         | BSNL                           | BSNL                 | MTNL                            | MTNL                 |
|---------|--------------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------|
| Year    | Complaints Received            | Complaints Redressed | Complaints Received             | Complaints Redressed |
| 2012-13 | 1,30,26,261                    | 1,19,70,517          | 47,31,520                       | 43,23,791            |
| 2013-14 | 1,20,49,855                    | 1,13,35,391          | 49,44,321                       | 47,21,028            |
| 2014-15 | 85,59,475                      | 85,59,475            | 46,23,102                       | 45,58,981            |
| 2015-16 | 51,12,258 (upto October, 2015) | 51,12,258            | 25,69,469 (upto September 2015) | 25,33,801            |

Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  monitors  the  performance  of service providers against the Quality of Service (QoS) benchmark parameters through the standards of QoS for Basic Service (wireline). BSNL and MTNL follow procedures prescribed by TRAI for attending the complaints.

BSNL  and  MTNL  receive  complaints  through  various  methods  like  Interactive Voice Response (System), Internet, SMS and Call Centres etc. These complaints are immediately handed over by BSNL and MTNL to linemen of the concerned areas for repair of telephone/attending complaints.

To ensure fault free landline services BSNL and MTNL are taking several steps which includes:

-  Introduction of State of the Art Next Generation Network (NGN) exchanges.
-  All circles/field units have been asked for close coordination with the Local bodies,  PWD,  Water  Authority  and  NHAI  authorities  since  the  Fixed  Line Broadband faults mainly occur due to damage of UG (Underground) cable during road works.
-  Regular  patrolling  of  important  cable  routes  to  prevent  cable  thefts/cable damages.
-  Provision of  Broadband connections on Optical Fiber using Fibre To The Home (FTTH) technology to enhance speed and reliability.
-  Constant upgradation of broadband network elements in the system based on the traffic growth.
-  Deployment of field staff to provide the fault removal service in extended hours including holidays.

(e) BSNL and MTNL have reported that all their telephone exchanges in the country are  automatic.  BSNL  is  in  the  process  of  modernization  its  legacy  Time  Division Multiplexing  (TDM)  network  into  Internet  Protocol  Multimedia  Subsystem  based  Next Generation Network (NGN). Presently, there is no plan under consideration of BSNL for commissioning of new telephone exchange. However, MTNL has planned to set up new telephone exchanges at Shivaji Stadium, Khureji, Pushpa Bhawan, Preet Vihar in Delhi.

(f) BSNL  and MTNL,  being commercial organizations, introduce appropriate schemes  within  the  regulatory  provisions  from  time  to  time  for  the  benefits  of  its customers  and  to  increase  their  market  share  in  landline  connections.    BSNL  has introduced night free calling from 9.00 PM to 7.00 AM to promote the landline telephone services.  Similarly,  MTNL  has  launched  'Unlimited  Free  Local  Calling  for  fixed  line services during night hours (22:00 Hrs to 07:00 Hrs.)' and STD calling facility at local call rates during night hours (22:00 Hrs to 07:00 Hrs.).

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