Acording to the Cellular Operators’ Association of India ( COAI), additional 9.5 million GSM connections have been provided in May 2011. The all India GSM connections have accordingly increased to 590.19 million from the earlier month’s 580.66 million. According to COAI, BSNL increased 0.47 million and MTNL 20,604 new connections. Bharti added 2.45 million, Idea 1.80 million and Vodafone 2.44 million lines.
The TRAI statistics for May are yet to be announced.
BSNL market share is again dipping. Has not the Customer Delight Month benefitted BSNL ?

C-DOT initially had done good research and developmental work in its early period, which helped the growth of telecom in India. But due to the neglect of the government and the meagre funds alloted, many of the promising young engineers have left and there was not much R and D.
As per the statement of Shri V.V.R.Satry, Executive Director, C-DOT is going in a big way for R and D. especially in introducing 4G services. I am very happy to read the statement.
But whether the Government will give support and financial assistance? Let us see.

The National JAC met on 14th June 2011 at New Delhi and discussed about the implementation of the Customer Delight Month and other important issues. Decisions of the meeting are being put in the websites of BSNL Associations/Unions.

Again BSNL is almost reaching the bottom in providing mobile connections. See the number of mobile connections provided by the major telecom companies in April 2011:
Reliance 29.39 lakhs In BSNL, AP and Karnataka Circle provided the maximum with 2.4 lakhs
Idea 24.50 and 0.95 lakh respectively. But in many other circles it is negative
Bharti 24.11 only.
Vodafone 24.09
BSNL 1.73

The Telecom Statistics April 2011 (in crores)
Company Landline % Wireless % Total %
Airtel 0.33 9.57% 16.46 19.91% 16.79 19.49%
Reliance 0.12 3.58 13.86 16.77 13.98 16.34
Vodafone 13.69 16.56 13.69 15.90
BSNL 2.50 72.43 9.20 11.13 11.70 13.59
Tata 0.13 3.74 9.03 10.93 09.16 10.64
MTNL 0.34 10.01 0.54 0.66 0.89 1.04

(Courtsey: TRAI and Com.Mihir Das Gupta)

It is reported that MTNL has decided to share its towers with the private companies to mop up additional funds to make up the loss incurred by it. MTNL has posted a loss of about Rs. 2,800 crores in 2010-11. It has got about 1400 towers in Delhi and Mumbai where it operates. It is understood that Expression of Indents (EoI) has also been called for the sharing business.Earlier also MTNL had sharing agreements with some private companies.
It seems that BSNL is also on the look out for sharing of its 40,000 or so towers. It had posted a loss of Rs.1823 crores in 2009-10 and is having more loss in 2010-11, which will be known when the accounts for the year are finalised.
The moot question is whether it will benefit the PSUs or will result in complication and loss of business in the long run? A serious examination is necessary.

The Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations/Unions have been continuously pressing the management to make available suffcient number of telephone instruments, cables, mobile equipments and broadband (Type I and II) modems to ensure that the faulty instruments are changed, faults removed and new broadband and mobile connections igiven, which will help BSNL to improve its performance and provide new BB connections.
Assurances have been given by the top management several times, but alas! the implementation of the assurances are yet to take place. The pace in which the management moves is so slow. that instead of growth, there will be downfall.
The JAC has to take necessary actions to make the management really moves and the supplies are provided so that the Customer Delight Month is successful and BSNL grows, grows faster.

The recent instructions issued by the CMD BSNL curtailing unnecessary Long Term Management Courses of DoPT for BSNL officers in view of the acute financial condition of BSNL is a correct decision. These trainings involves lakhs of rupees but, the company is not getting any benefits from these due to various reasons. The matter was brought to the notice of the CMD by the JAC. I appreciate the present decision of the BSNL Board which is in the correct direction.

There are a lot of tours undertaken by the top management in BSNL, which cost a fotune for the company, when it is reeling under severe financial crunch.

I have suggested to the CMD BSNL during the meeting with him on 9th June that these tours can be reduced to the minimum by holding video Conferences, through which much time can be saved. CMD stated that he has already started the same. Our further suggestion is that the same be exended up to SSA levels, which will save time and money.

The C-DOT considered earlier as the most advanced in telecom R and D has not been heard for a long time after its spectacular success in the E-10-B equipment etc.The foreign manufacturers like Nokia,Ericsson have entirely captured the manufacturing markets. The C-DOT could not do much or even nothing with regard to the 2G and 3G.
But it seems that the C-DOT is coming back with its proposals to start with for the 4G for which it can do a lot according the reported statement of Shri V.V.R.Sastry, Executive Director,C-DOT.
He is reported to have stated as follows:
“Todays telecom networks are swamped by imported products and services, based on foreign technology. From a national security perspective, it is very important to have home grown India IPR and technologies in the telecommunication and information technologies.
” To avoid foreign outflow of stupendous magnitude due to telecom gear imports in the near future and revive the national telecom equipment manufacturing base which in turn will create employment opportunities for semi-skilled and skilled workforce of this country, it is very important to go the C-DOT way ie. to create India IPR, develop products and services which can revive the Indian Telecom Manufacturing bse in this country.”
Well stated Shri Sastry! But will the government allot funds,infrastructure and manpower for the same? Is the government really interested in R and D? But of course, I fully support the proposals of C-DOT. The government should be pressurised to act upon it.