MTNL to add 50,000 broadband connection by fiscal end

New Delhi, Nov 28 (UNI) State-owned telecom provider Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) today said it plans to add 50,000 connections by this fiscal end and has placed an order worth Rs 1,63,000 crore for the equipment purchase.

''We will receive broadband equipment worth Rs 15,000 crore by the end of this month and remaining instruments worth Rs 1,48,000 crore is likely to delivered by the end of next month,'' MTNL Executive Director A K Arora told reporters on the sidelines of launch of multi-lingual message service here.

Although it is ''difficult'' to achieve the set target of nine million broadband connections, he said adding, MTNL will add 50,000 connections to its existing 5.5 broadband customers.

Currently the total broadband subscribers in the country stands at 25 lakhs, a short by 65 lakhs of the set target.

The company, a service provider in Delhi and Mumbai, has the capacity to add 8-9 lakhs broadband connections, Mr Arora said.

UNI