The Hindu : Confusion over BSNL packages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 03, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Confusion over BSNL packages

By T.S. Shankar and N. Ravi Kumar

CHENNAI MAY 2. The first working-day after Bharat Sanchar Nigam unveiled its alternative basic telephony packages saw its officials struggling to convince subscribers about the finer aspects of the schemes, even as cellular operators experienced a comparatively low utility of their network on account of the higher tariff for mobile calls from land lines.

The most affected due to the changes, introduced by the BSNL in tune with the interconnect user charge (IUC) regime that set in on May 1, were subscribers calling a GSM (global system for mobile communication) cellular from a PCO, as the tariff charges were hiked manifold. The situation, however, was far from smooth for those willing to bear the increase, as thousands of roadside PCOs, including those of the private basic service providers, barred calls to cellular phones.

While official sources, both in the Tamilnadu Telecom Circle and Chennai Telephones, hinted at a substantial drop in the traffic flow from fixed lines to mobile phones in the days ahead, the private cellular operators viewed the change as a ``blessing in disguise.'' Even while agreeing that the move would have a bearing on public access to a vital mode of communication, a senior executive of a cellular firm in Chennai said: "Many of the unnecessary calls — the IUC regime makes all incoming calls free — to our phones would be reduced, reducing congestion of our network."

PCOs warned

Nevertheless, in an attempt to rein in the PCOs, Chennai Telephones today issued a directive asking the public telephone operators — many of whom charged as much as Rs. 9 for a call to mobile phones — to levy only the prescribed rate or else "face disconnection of the lines without further notice." The advice came in the wake of "certain complaints from our consumers that the PCO operators are collecting excess charges," it said in a communiqué.

Meanwhile, BSNL sources clarified that in a metro (Chennai), the per minute (a unit) tariff for a call from a fixed line to mobile phone costs Rs. 1.20, while a similar call for the same duration attracted a tariff of Rs. 2.40 in non-metro areas (in other parts of the State). With regard to other tariff in the service area of Chennai Telephones, a three-minute call from basic (fixed) line to fixed WLL phone costs Rs. 1.20, while those from a basic line to a WLL mobile (WLL-M) was being charged at Rs. 1.20 for 90 seconds.

The confusion created with the introduction of the IUC regime, however, has clouded the `benefits' offered by the four alternative packages of the BSNL — General, Economy, Special and Super — including "their flexibility," and the launch of the 95-services that allow STD calls with the circle from STD-barred telephones.

A senior official in the Tamilnadu Telecom Circle told The Hindu that the major advantage for the subscribers was the provision to switchover from one package to another, at least 10 days before the billing date, based on their usage. "They can migrate between the packages any number of times at no additional cost," he said, noting that clarifications were awaited on many issues from the headquarters, including on those related to the provision of itemised bill.

Both the BSNL and Chennai Telephones, however, had also decided to retain the bi-monthly billing schedule for individual connections and households and a monthly billing for high-calling subscribers. While Chennai Telephones' subscriber base was almost 11 lakhs, the Tamilnadu Telecom Circle had 28.5 lakh subscribers spread across the State and Pondicherry, besides 2.5 lakh cellular phone users in 85 towns.

Towards retaining the high-calling subscribers, the TN Telecom Circle was also thinking of offering "further discounts to subscribers in the `Super' package," the official said.

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