Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, which flaunts ‘world class, multi-gigabit, multi-protocol, convergent IP infrastructure through National Internet Backbone’, to provide broadband services, is arguably the worst service provider, locally. The public sector once monopoly service provider, cares two hoots for constant connectivity, monitoring of services and customer feedback in a highly competitive segment.
BSNL claims its National Internet Backbone has put India on par with advanced nations, and it delivers high speed Internet (of upto 24 Mbps), when nearly every second domestic customer is frustrated with BSNL’s services and have switched to private providers, despite the latter’s higher broadband charges.
BSNL could pretend to deliver the world to customers in the age of internet based knowledge, e-commerce and instant data transmission, but the ground realities are starkly abysmal. Over the past year or so, broadband services have deteriorated so badly that, download and upload of data is a nightmare. Every time a dejected customer of BSNL switches on his modem, there is no internet connectivity or frequent breaks off, leaving one stranded in the midst of an email, an e-commerce transaction with great financial risk or an important web meeting.
Even if one manages to connect, the speed is naggingly slow at about 100 mbps at best or below par at worst, even if one’s connection promises 256 kbps for a Rs 500 unlimited connection.
To test staff responsiveness, we did an empirical test and called BSNL all four helplines which are completely inadequate to serve lakhs of broadband customers all Goa –2423200, 2225900, 2423800 or 2423741. The lines were called on October 8, between 11.51 am and 11.58 am, to resolve breakdown of broadband service. When the number 2423200 was called at 11.51 am, there was no response, though the full ring went through. The second number 2225900 was called at 11.56 but gave a busy tone. At 11.57 am, a call to 2423800 was cut off without a single ring going through. Similarly when the number 2423741 was called the full ring went through, but no BSNL employee responded.
When the exercise was repeated between 12.15 pm and 12.20 pm in the same sequence, ironically it yielded exactly the very same responses. On previous occasions too, helplines were not attended too or gave busy tones, most of the times. On one occasion, a male employee put the line on hold and was discussing which kind of leave he should apply for, after rejoining work. Unfailingly, customers are asked to reset their modems or replace lines at their own expense. Surely, the BSNL Managing Director’s claim that road digging is the cause for staff insolence, will not hold water.
To test data speed and connectivity, we decided to download two software at random on October 7 and 8–Avira antivirus (143 MB), and Adobe Reader version 11 (35.6 MB). The Avira download, started on October 7 around midnight, after endless interruptions of ‘no net connection’ was finally completed at 11.58 am on October 8. The download of the Adobe Reader version 11 (35.6 MB) could not be completed at this domestic connection from 10.30 am to 12.15 pm, on October 8 due to frequent connectivity issues. The laptop was shifted to a commercial connection, and the software was finally downloaded by 4 pm, after a good five-and-half hour laborious effort.
When the Prime Minister proudly proclaims that his government’s focus will be on physical infrastructure and creating a digital network for making India a global manufacturing hub of goods ranging from cars to software and satellites to submarines, he is certainly not talking of BSNL’s telephone, cellphone and broadband network, as the backbone of this revolution. BSNL which shows no accountability to State government, should drive its staff — both technical and administrative to be on their toes, improve customer courtesies, compete neck and neck with private providers to deliver state of the art services or concede space to private players, who are having a field day, by providing customer sensitive, more efficient and responsive services. While BSNL wades in its monopoly driven ‘take it or leave it’ mindset, even 23 years after the collapse of the licence quota raj, it will find that customers have voted with their feet, that is if it eventually wakes up to the ground realities.
