State-Run BSNL and MTNL Step Up To Improve Coverage Quality Across India

| Updated: Wednesday, July 23, 2014, 1:29 [IST]

In a move to strengthen the quality of coverage, state-run telecom companies BSNL and MTNL are enhancing their mobile services by adding about 28,300 new mobile sites. Reportedly, the state owned telecom operators have officially confirmed that both the operators would initiate the process really soon.

State-Run BSNL and MTNL Step Up To Improve Coverage Quality in India

"To improve coverage and data speed, BSNL is augmenting its network by adding IP-based 10,502 new Node Bs (3G antenna) and 14,263 base transceiver stations (generally for 2G) in the network as part of phase 7 expansion plan," telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

To benefit the end users, both state-owned companies are apparently hell-bent on making improvements to their services, in order to enhance 3G download speed by almost six times.

Consequently, MTNL is adding 3,526 mobile sites which include both 2G and 3G equipment for enhancing coverage in Delhi and Mumbai.

Prasad further said, "MTNL is augmenting network by adding 1,080 Node-Bs and 800 BTSs in Delhi and 1,080 Node-Bs and 566 BTSs in Mumbai."

He mentioned that both public sector units are making changes in their network that will enhance 3G download speed by about six times.

"BSNL and MTNL are also upgrading their existing high speed downlink packet access 3G network supporting download speed of 3.6Mbps and upload speed of 384kbps to support high speed packet access with download speed of 21.1Mbps and upload speed of 5.76Mbps per sector in each node-B," he said.

Questioning the steps the government proposes to take in increasing average peak speed of internet in the country, Prasad said that national optical fibre network, which aims to connect all 2.5 lakh village panchayats in the country with broadband by 2017, will provide capacity of 100Mbps to each panchayat.

Source: PTI