BSNL offers fourth generation Wimax technology to suburban subscribers

Chennai:

Baharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Chennai Telephones on Friday offered fourth generation High-Speed Wireless Broadband Access Technology to its subscribers in suburban Chennai.

The services, which are launched by Chennai Telephones in 15 areas, will be a bonus to moffusil subscribers who can now browse at a lightning speed besides download or upload data at a high speed upto 2 Mbps.

Addressing a press conference chief general manager of BSNL A Subramanian said that the move by BSNL is to increase its subscriber base in remote areas by offering cable-less connectivity.

“Since it is expensive to lay cables, we are now providing this service to our customers,” said Subramanian.

“We started with WiMax base transceiver station (BTS) in Uthukottai initially and now have launched it in Uthiramerur, Chenglepet Anna Nagar, Maraimalainagar, Gummidipoondi Sipcot, Kelampakkam, Thiruvallur, Orgadam, Sriperumbudur, Manali New Town, Melvaruvathur, Maduranthagam, Thirukalukundram, Thatchur, Medavakkam and Kancheepuram,” said Subramanian.

Each BTS can cover up till the range of 5km to 10 km and can have upto 1,000 subscribers, he said adding that a BTS can function without power for two to three hours.

Under this technology, subscriber can avail of customer premises equipments (CPE) including outdoor, indoor and USB dongles from which customers can choose as per their application requirements. The rates are affordable which includes fixed monthly charges of Rs 750 besides unlimited free data usage per month.

Subramanian said although the CPEs are costly than normal modems, BSNL is offering it on a rental basis . The rental is Rs 50 per month for limited plan and Rs 40 per month for unlimited plan.

On mobile portability, he said there is a backlog and by March, Chennai Telephones will have more incoming than outgoing. He also said the broad speed of its 2G connections has been doubled to 512 mbps.