THRISSUR: BSNL authorities in Thrissur on Tuesday announced a series of programmes to augment the mobile and fixed phone services as well as the Internet access facilities in the district.

Addressing a press conference here, the principal general manager of BSNL, Thrissur., D. Varadarajan, the general manager (Operations), Thomas Philip, and the general manager (Development), V. P. S. Menon, said broadband services will be launched in 13 stations in the district by next month.

Broadband

The broadband services which facilitates transmission of video, audio and data transmission through ordinary telephone lines will enable Internet

customers to download one gigabyte of data by paying a monthly rent of Rs. 500 only. The BSNL officials said the changes for converting ordinary telephone line into broadband service is to be done at the exchanges and the equipments for this have already arrived. Efforts are being made to set up

new eight digital loop carriers (DLCs) stations for ensuring blanket coverage of broadband facility in the city.

The BSNL officials said the present waiting list for fixed phones in the district is 17,000, and the plan is to sanction 47,000 new connections in the current financial year. Out of this, 15,000 will be wire line connections and 32,000 will be Wireless Loop Lines (WLL).

The officials have estimated that there will be 2,000 fresh telephone applications every month in the district, and even then they hope to make the telephone on demand by the end of this fiscal.

Reactivation

Replying to questions, BSNL officials said they are introducing a plan for reactivation of prepaid mobile connections. The prepaid connections

disconnected within three months can be reactivated on taking a recharge coupon of Rs. 2,000 plus a tax of Rs 204. In addition they have to pay Rs 220 as activation charge. For the reactivation of the prepaid connections disconnected beyond three months the subscribers will have to pay Rs. 3,526 which includes tax and activation charge. BSNL officials clarified that the complaints of lack of clarity and interruptions of mobile phone services can be eliminated to a large extent with the installation new 94 base terminals in the district in addition to the existing 64 base terminals.

The BSNL hopes to add more than one lakh mobile connections in the district from the present figure of 58,000. The idea is to make both the prepaid and post-paid mobile connections on demand in the district within six months.

At present there are about 42,000 pre-paid connections and 16,000 post-paid connections in the district.

Under the BSNL People's Plan, the fixed telephone subscribers in the city can opt for a scheme in which they can make 100 free calls by paying a monthly rent of Rs 240. The pulse rate for these calls will be Rs 1.20. The subscribers can opt for this scheme, which will become effective from May 1, by putting in a separate application.

The BSNL deputy general managers, Francis Jacob, C. P. Rajan, C. S. Asok Kumar and M. V. K. Nair, the area manager, A. S. Sukumaran, and the assistant general manager, P. R. Mylevahanan, were also present at the press conference.

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