BSNL increases basic broadband plan rent without notice

Amit Khajuria

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 10

In the era of high-speed internet on cheaper cost, government undertaking telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has given a shock to its broadband customers by increasing the rent of its basic plan by 50 per cent from December without any prior notification to them.

Earlier, the BSNL had also increased Rs 25 to 50 in all the broadband plans last year, but now the basic plan of Rs 250 per month has been increased to Rs 325.

The basic and the cheapest plan for broadband was of Rs 250 per month with the only broadband provider company, BSNL, in Jammu, in which it offered 1GB data to the customer. But now the cheapest plan is for Rs 325 with data of 1.5 GB per month.

“My broadband connection bill was Rs 325 last month instead of Rs 250. I thought I may have exceeded the free data, but I was shocked to see when again I got the same rent this month. When I called up the call centre, they informed me that the plan has been revised, and the rent is Rs 325 now,” Sunil Sharma, a broadband customer.

“They didn’t even bother to inform us that the rent has been increased. I have very limited usage of broadband, why should I pay that hefty amount for it?” he added.

Interestingly, the top authorities of the BSNL in Jammu and Kashmir are not aware of any increase in the basic rent of its cheapest plan.

RN Sudhakar, Chief General Manager, Telecom (CGMT), BSNL, said, “The rents of some of the plans were increased, but I do not have full details of it. If someone has any issue with the billing, he/she can give a written complaint and we will look into it.”

However, Senior General Manager, BSNL, SK Khullar straightway refused to accept that there is any increase in any of the broadband connection rents.

Finally, Mohan Lal, Accounts Officer, Telecom, Revenue, BSNL, confirmed that they have increased the rent of its basic plan.

“The basic plan of Rs 250 per month was increased in October last year by Rs 25, but now the plan has been totally changed and with the increase of Rs 100 in this plan, we have also increased free data in the plan by 500 MB,” he said.

He also accepted that the increase and change in rent should have been notified to the customer before its implementation. “This is our fault, our marketing team should have informed the customers about this plan,” Mohan Lal added.