Darjeeling, Nov. 2: It is peak tourist
season in the hills and bad news for BSNL subscribers.
Over the last two weeks, cellphone users with a BSNL connection
have been facing a harrowing time in trying to get connected.
The poor connectivity seems to be the resultant
effect of the tourist rush. Many visitors descend on the town
with roaming facilities, putting extra load on the BSNL services.
The result is jammed connectivity.
Disgruntled BSNL subscribers said it was
virtually impossible to get through to a BSNL number, not
to speak of other service providers like Reliance and Hutch
— the new kid on the block.
`I have been using a BSNL mobile connection
for the past two years and the service has never been so bad.
I need to constantly keep in touch with my driver, who takes
my clients on tours; but that has become impossible now. Over
the past week, connectivity has gone for a toss. I think I
dial at least 10 times before getting the number,` said Satish
Gurung, a businessman. Landline users are somewhat better
off.
According to BSNL officers, `congested lines`
had become almost synonymous with the tourist season. Faced
with a deluge of complaints, the authorities have announced
a major upgrade in infrastructure.
Even though the authorities could not tell
how many calls the BSNL could handle in the region —
this depends on the vacant slots available at any given time
both at the Base Transmitting Station and the Mobile Switching
Centre (MSC), located at Salt Lake in Calcutta — they
confirmed that `a major infrastructure uphaul` was on the
cards.
S.K. Saha, deputy general manager, BSNL
(Siliguri), said over phone: `Right now, there is only one
MSC at Calcutta, but we have two coming up at Siliguri and
Durgapur soon. This will not only help us provide better connectivity
but also quality service.`
The MSC at Siliguri will have a capacity
of handling 4 lakh lines, which will be a major achievement
for north Bengal, claimed the officer. With the installation
of the MSC, the BSNL is likely to increase its customer base
in north Bengal.
The telecom utility also plans to increase
its number of Base Transmitting Station (BTS) across the region.
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