[clevermax]

I have no issues with BSNL mobile phones coverage. Lnadline connection is OK. Their broadband connection sucks big time. It is clogged in the evenings - ALWAYS.

Airtel is the worst in Kerala. You have to be outdoors to get signal.

[Mr_Bean]

Has the strike started already, my phone line is dead again

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by arin_12

Every time they need some bribe, for each and every service... Recently I have shifted my house and re-connecting the connection I had to some amount. If I go for Airtel(2nd option) they could have done freely. One of my known person clearly agreed that some top official takes money from Private player and do no improvement. Even some time private player will also cut/damage BSNL line intentionally. Hope they dont loose out their job as private company.
And the other side they are more responsive now. I gave a complain for noisy line at my house with in 10 Min I got a call from them. Also I am using the Dataone from past 4+ yrs, did not have any severe prob till now.

Bribes will continue until there are people who pay them. Unlike earlier, there are other options today... and justification to bribe is even weaker.

Like I said, there seems to be zero accountability at BSNL. If things don't work, it does not seem to matter for anybody. Until this model of functioning continues, I don't see any change.

[condor]

An update to an old thread:

Cabinet approves a 1.64L crore revival package for BSNL, and merger of BSNL & BBNL. This will give a big boost to connectivity in rural and remote areas, where BSNL has the best physical presence. Private operators are moving to 5G now, and also do not provide services where ARPU is low. This connectivity through BSNL would likely be 4G, but definitely better than the 2G / 3G that users experience currently.

[attinder]

Yes but why ? Do we need bsnl ?

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by condor

An update to an old thread:

Cabinet approves a 1.64L crore revival package for BSNL, and merger of BSNL & BBNL. This will give a big boost to connectivity in rural and remote areas, where BSNL has the best physical presence. Private operators are moving to 5G now, and also do not provide services where ARPU is low. This connectivity through BSNL would likely be 4G, but definitely better than the 2G / 3G that users experience currently.

Govt doesn't want BSNL to succeed. Period. This will remain on paper only.

Just look at 4G rollout of BSNL. The govt will stiffle BSNL so that JIO can have a free run.

[condor]

Originally Posted by attinder

Yes but why ? Do we need bsnl ?

A comment like that is what I have seen from us people who mostly are in the cities. There are strategic reasons why we need it. There is enough infrastructure already invested and ready. It just needs to be transformed, and will happen just like how other central organizations have in the past few years. One example is DRDO.

Originally Posted by ToThePoint

Govt doesn't want BSNL to succeed. Period. This will remain on paper only.

Just look at 4G rollout of BSNL. The govt will stiffle BSNL so that JIO can have a free run.

Wait and watch, is all I will say at this time. A state owned telecom operator is very very necessary. Just that it had been run-down in the past, given step-motherly treatment and what not. Things will shape up in a different and good way.

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by condor

A comment like that is what I have seen from us people who mostly are in the cities.

Not true. I have seen Jio and Airtel having excellent coverage in far flung areas too, where BSNL is practically non-existent, like Lansdowne, Bijnor, etc.

There is no need to revive BSNL if the *homegrown* private service providers are filling the void more than adequately, which is indeed what is happening nationwide.

That huge 1.64L crore money could have been put to better use to reform so many other ailing things in India, like:

Police reforms

Set up a well trained and equipped nationwide highway patrol

Set up a police academy for periodic refresher training for the above

Improve primary education sector

Introduce RTO reforms for better DL issuance procedure

Set up a process for imparting better driving etiquette for the jerks who drive in our country

There are many more ...

[srvm]

Originally Posted by vharihar

That huge 1.64L crore money could have been put to better use to reform so many other ailing things in India, like:

Police reforms

Set up a well trained and equipped nationwide highway patrol

Set up a police academy for periodic refresher training for the above

Improve primary education sector

Introduce RTO reforms for better DL issuance procedure

Set up a process for imparting better driving etiquette for the jerks who drive in our country

There are many more ...

Not necessarily disagreeing with your views. But I'd like to point out that most of the above are under State list. One can't expect Central Govt to invest in these reforms while it is the States that should be doing it.

[cryptarchy]

Government has no business running businesses. Get rid of bureaucracy and let capitalism do it’s work.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by cryptarchy

Government has no business running businesses. Get rid of bureaucracy and let capitalism do it’s work.

While the above statement has its merits & takers, consider this (given the present conditions):
What do you think will be the petrol/diesel prices now if IOCL, HPCL, BPCL weren't in existence and only Shell, Reliance, Nayara were around?

Imagine what a lower / middle class person will answer to this above question!

[IamNikhil]

Interesting to note that the forever-struggling BSNL & MTNL were given a lifeline with a generous package of 77,000 crore just 3 years ago by the government. At a time when the government is expecting a windfall of 1.5 lakh crore from the 5G auctions, a bailout of 1.6 lakh crore for BSNL/MTNL with zero accountability or strategic plans by their respective babus is not a very prudent decision, IMHO.

That said, the government does realise the strategic importance of having presence in the telecom landscape, considering national security reasons evidently.

But for how long will the government keep feeding a forever hungry beast incapable of hunting on it's own? Yes, it's a vicious cycle. Yes, you need two hands to clap. However, we have all seen how successive governments drove Air India/Indian Airlines to the ground. The same is being replicated in the case of these telecom PSUs. Not sure how long can the government sustain these magnanimous bailouts when the financial condition is not exactly fantastic.

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by srvm

While the above statement has its merits & takers, consider this (given the present conditions):
What do you think will be the petrol/diesel prices now if IOCL, HPCL, BPCL weren't in existence and only Shell, Reliance, Nayara were around?

Imagine what a lower / middle class person will answer to this above question!

You can bet fuel would have been cheaper if we had Reliance, Tata, etc running fuel retail business.

There has been ample historical evidence to show inefficiency of govt in business.

Shell is different, the variant/additives itself is different I'm told.

[Durango Dude]

Problem is any bailout given by the Govt goes to paying the salaries of the burgeoning staff of BSNL rather than for any value addition to the customer. They are most inefficient and their arrogance just before private players came on has to be seen to be believed: I have had BSNL staff demand concession from my consultation fees saying that they were "BSNL Staff" They need to be given a decent burial and disbanded and their salaries and pension cut. Getting a line man to do his job we had to take a Baraat like he was a Damaad! they wouldn't work even if the AE directed them to: their reply would be: is the AE going to climb up the pole and fix the line. We had to also tip him handsomely only for him to waste it all on liquor at night!

[TorqueyTechie]

Even I don't understand why this bailout when the taxpayers money can be better utilized. They should have planned to privatize it as well and auction it off so that people currently working there are not impacted.

BSNL as is most other govt owned companies work in their own world. For eg., I had raised a issue about internet not working 3 years back and I did follow up for close to 2 years but nothing happened out of it. Now I am following up on my disconnection notice and its been an year and again ticket is not moved/closed.