Slow pace of 4G installation works irks BSNL customers in Chennai
Out of the 2,114 towers to be installed, the works of 500 towers have been completed by September. The remaining are expected to be completed by December in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu.
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CHENNAI: The 4G tower installation in Chennai by BSNL covering four districts is going at a slow pace. A BSNL official said the installation works would be completed by December this year.
Out of the 2,114 towers to be installed, the works of 500 towers have been completed by September. The remaining are expected to be completed by December in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu.
“In the installation process, 19 are interior places where the installation has been completed in July itself, which was funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF),” said a BSNL official. Earlier, BSNL had claimed that the installation of at least 1.000 towers would be completed by September.
BSNL customers, who fall under Chennai telephones, lament over the poor network across the city. Customers, who recently ported to BSNL when private telecom players raised prices, opined that they feel trapped with poor networks.
“There is no network in my house for the past few days. Even after raising several complaints, no action has been taken. Our children are abroad and the only means of communicating with them is through WhatsApp calls. This lack of connection is a concern for them also,” said Muniyandi Muthurasu, a senior citizen and BSNL customer from Pattabiram.
T Sadagopan, a consumer activist, pointed out network issues lead to call drops and difficulty in getting the calls connected, to which a BSNL officials explained: “Currently, 4G-compatible SIM is distributed to customers. When 4G tower installation works are completed, there would be a proper network. At times, due to the trial run, customers get a signal, but many are unaware that they have to change their phone settings manually from 2G-3G to 4G. When it’s left in automatic mode, they don’t get calls or the calls get dropped.”
Once the work is completed, the BSNL is expected to bring in 5G as well. “The 5G works is just a software update, and it would be completed within 3 months after the 4G installation works are completed,” added the official.
