(a) whether the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited mobile signals are not functioning properly in Darbhanga district of Bihar;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government has taken any steps to improve mobile connectivity in the area;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the manner in which the Government proposes to address the problem being faced by the subscribers?
THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)
(a) & (b) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL’s) communication network and services are affected due to poor electricity supply in some areas including Darbhanga District of Bihar. While interruptions do occur in services due to non availability of power supply and frequent cuts in OFC (Optical Fibre Cable) routes mainly due to road construction activities, poor battery back up is also a major reason for interruptions. Due to failures in power supply, network parameters of Quality of Service (QoS) prescribed by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) get affected adversely.
(c) to (e) BSNL has planned to install 41 BTSs (Base Transceiver Stations) under its GSM Phase VII expansion in Darbhanga Secondary Switching Area (SSA), of which six BTSs have already been installed. BSNL is also optimizing its network continuously for its performance. BSNL is taking immediate steps to replace the faulty batteries for better quality of supply.