Dwindling BTTB
This refers to the Star Business report (DS, 23 May) on the dwindling BTTB subscribers. I am not surprised to see its gradual decline. Even making BTTB a public limited company will not be an appropriate solution. As per this report quoting a BTTB high official, it is not the 'limited capacity to accommodate new connections' rather the backward looking and stagnant outlook of the Board that has created this situation. Mind that there is a huge amount of unpaid bills pending with the government organisations and, on the other hand, the individual subscribers are virtually being held hostage by the 'hon'ble linemen' all over the country. And the BTTB has failed to do anything about it as the Board is also being controlled by highly politicised union people.
The BTTB can come out of this situation if it goes 'wireless fixed phone' system, following the examples of the private land phone operators, replacing the age-old jungle of telephone lines and getting rid of the gang of linemen. This will ensure much cheaper and hassle-free service to the subscribers and at the same time bring about operational ease to the advantage of the BTTB.
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