MYSORE: The indefinite strike launched by BSNL officers across the country on Friday has put a question mark over the public sector telecom major's plans to enhance broadband speed from the existing 256 kilo bytes a second (kbps) to 2 mega bytes a second (mbps) to more than 5,000 DataOne customers of Mysore Telecom District with effect from January 1, 2007.

General Manager of Mysore Telecom District Chandrashekar T.K. told The Hindu in Mysore on Saturday that technical feasibility was necessary for upgrading the speed of BSNL broadband services.

"BSNL has about 5,000 broadband customers in Mysore Telecom District. We will not be able to carry out the exercise to ascertain the technical feasibility till the strike is called off," he said.

It may be mentioned here that the Department of Telecommunication has declared 2007 as the Year of Broadband in India and announced a bonanza that includes automatic upgrading of BSNL's broadband speed from 256 kbps to 2 mbps with effect from January 1 without any extra cost.

"It will take a week for me to categorically say whether we will be able to increase the broadband speed by 2007 beginning or not," he said.

Wage revision

The Group B officials of BSNL are on an indefinite strike since Friday to press their demands which include revision of wages.

However, Mr. Chandrashekar said the download limit would be enhanced from January 1, 2007, in accordance with the recent decision. "Subscribers of the Rs. 250 a month Home Plan who were entitled to a free download limit of 400 mega bytes a month will now be eligible for free downloads up to 1 giga byte (gb) a month".

Even the rates for downloads beyond the permissible free download limit of 1 gb had been slashed.

Against the Rs. 1.4 collected for every mb over and above the download ceiling, subscribers would now have to pay only 90 paise for every mb, Mr. Chandrashekar said.

The download limits even for subscribers in the various domestic as well as business plans would be increased according to the revised guidelines from January 1, 2007. Subscribers of the Rs. 700 a month business plan who had download ceiling of 2 gb would now be entitled to 4 gb a month, he said.

"We will have no problems in increasing the download limits. It will come into effect from New Year," Mr. Chandrashekar said.

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