BSNL added 96 lakhs new connections in its listlast year:Sinha

Dehradun, May 27 (UNI) Chief Managing Director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited A K Sinha today said BSNL despite losing 6 to 7 lakhs of its customers has added 96 lakhs new connection in its list last year.

''Last year BSNL generated gross revenue of approximately Rs 40,000 crore and profit was around Rs. 7,500 crore,'' he told media here today. He maintained that the figure would increase with the new 96 lakhs new connection adding in the list.

Mr Sinha said that BSNL has pegged its target to increase its revenue generation to Rs 90 crore from Rs 40,000 crore by year 2010.

He claimed that the compnay would purchase 6.5 lakh new telephone units in coming two to three years.

He disclosed that BSNL would, from January 2008 add 3 lakh mobile telephone connection and 5 lakh Broad Band connections every month.

Mr Sinha said BSNL covered around 5 lakhs villages in the country and remaining 30 to 35 thousands villages would also be covered in near future.

He maintained that special sattelite network was being set up in Uttarakhand to provide atleast one telephone connection to 2360 villages situated in remote areas where normal telephone connection was not possible. ''The work will complete within 4 to 5 months time,'' he said, adding that there were around 14,000 villages in India where normal telephone connection was not possible due to geological difficulties.

Meanwhile speaking about the future venture of BSNL in Uttarakhand Mahendra Kumar, Chief General Manager Telecom, Uttarakhand, said that very shortly fixed line prepaid services (FLPP) prepaid would be launched for land line customers of BSNL in Dehradun, Hairdwar and Nainital districts. Mr. Kumar apprised that there has been 22 per cent growth in number of telephone exchanges and switching capacity (LL/WLL) has reached 75 per cent growth. He claimed that so far 52,039 Internet connections have been provided and 5930 Broad Band connections.

He said the BSNL was envisaging to increase Broadband capacity by 63688 and increase Broadband connections to 57320 under development plans for 2007-08.

UNI