BSNL loses major subscriber base

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 4

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the lone state-owned telecommunications company has lost almost 1 lakh landline telephone subscribers and around 40,000 internet broadband subscribers in Punjab Telecom Circle, of which Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula are part, in the past one year.

While the number of landline phone subscribers had gone down from 6,35,124 as on June 30, 2016, to 5.5 lakh as on July 31, 2017, the broadband internet connections have reduced from 2,83,058 on June 30, 2016 to 2,48,370 now.

BSNL chief general manager, Punjab Telecom Circle, MS Dhillon disclosed this during a press conference today. Dhillon admitted that the revenue had reduced by 20 per cent.

On the cyber attack on BSNL broadband servers, he said their office in Bengaluru was investigating the malware. “Only modems, where subscribers had not changed the default passwords, were affected. We have reset most of the modems. Over 1,000 complaints are pending and we intend to address them in the two-three days,” he said.

As a precautionary measure, he said subscribers must change their passwords on installation.