Landline may soon be obsolete

Visakhapatnam: Landline telephone connection may become a thing of the past, thanks to mobile phones. Everybody from haves to have-nots are lapping up cell phones. 

Except, the government offices and agencies, majority of the customers are cancelling their landline connections, though the BSNL is offering free outgoing calls during the nights. Once the customers, who stood in long queues for landline connections of the BSNL, are now returning their connections.   

As the landline connections, India’s basic communication system, is losing its charisma, the BSNL authorities are not expanding the exchanges further. With the mobile revolutionary era, the common and middle class are maintaining the smart phones and already they forgot the landline connections.

In Visakhapatnam telecom district, the landline equipped capacity is 1,39,565, however, the present working landline connections are 82,520 only. In fact, the BSNL authorities will close the boards (capacity indicators) after giving 92 per cent of the connections against the exchange capacity.

The BSNL will keep at least five per cent connections for various purposes, including VVIP programmes and others. Though there is a demand in some areas (recently developed colonies and habitations) in the urban areas, as there is no further development works, the BSNL authorities are not taking the applications stating that there are no possibilities to provide connections.

“Yes, the demand was drastically coming down as the customers are getting the mobile connections within hours. The present working landline connections are being used by the government offices and other agencies only. Not only middle class, but also the posh communities also returning the landline connections.

“Many customers are not even informing us that they are discontinuing their connections and not responding to the notices for rental dues,” a senior officer of Visakhapatnam Telecom District lamented.

By Vkl Gayatri