Question : LOCAL CALL FACILITY

(a) whether the BSNL has provided local call facility to its subscribers in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal for landline to mobile and mobile to mobile calls;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether it is a fact that the subscribers of Ghaziabad and Noida (U.P.) which falls in NCR have been deprived of this facility;

(d) if so, the reasons therefor;

(e) whether the Government proposes to provide the said facility in all the disctircts under NCR; and

(f) if so, the time by when this is likely to be implemented?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DR. SHAKEEL AHMAD)

(a) & (b) For the purpose of Cellular Mobile Telephone Service(CMTS) License, erstwhile State of Uttar Pradesh except Ghaziabad and Noida is divided into two service areas namely, Uttar Pradesh (East) and Uttar Pradesh (West). Uttar Pradesh (West) service area includes the State of Uttranchal also. In May 2005, Government has decided that the calls between Uttar Pradesh (East) & Uttar Pradesh (West) service areas would be treated as intra-service area calls and permitted dialing of mobile to mobile and landline to mobile calls between Uttar Pradesh (East) and Uttar Pradesh (West) without prefixing `0`. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has also implemented the said dialing facility.

(c) & (d) Ghaziabad and Noida Telephone Systems being part of National Capital Region (NCR) are included in the Delhi Metro Service Area for the purpose of CMTS License. The same concept of service area is also applicable for Unified Access Services(UAS) License.

Since, subscribers of CMTS / UAS located in Ghazibad and Noida are part of Delhi Metro Service Area, they have the same dialing facility as that of any other subscriber of Delhi Metro Service area.

(e) Yes, Sir.

(f) No time frame has been fixed.