A Month After Blaze, George Town’s BSNL Landlines Lying Dead

BSNL subscribers in George Town area are without landline connections as the state owned telecom operator has failed to restore communication more than a month after a local telephone exchange was gutted in fire. More than 50,000 landline connections were hit in the congested business centre of North Chennai.

Joseph Clement, owner of a power transmission products shop on Armenian Street in Parrys, said business has taken a beating as BSNL landline numbers are non-operational. “We have two BSNL numbers, both lines are dead. Customers cannot reach us,” he said.

Traders said mobile networks were also poor. R Rajan, who owns a shop on Thambu Chetty Street, said, “When we get calls, we have to rush out of our shops for a stronger signal. Landlines are our lifeline and we get about 75 to 100 calls a day from customers.”

Rajan has two landline connections of which one is dedicated for broadband. “At present, we are surviving with data from mobile phones as broadband is down,” he said.

According to BSNL Chennai Telephones, the fire accident on August 1 devastated vital components of the exchange such as cables, cable chamber, switches, power plant, batteries and main telephone exchange equipment. “About 70% of the landlines are confirmed to be working and the remaining connections are to be tested,” a press release from BSNL Chennai Telephones said on Wednesday. “The Harbour telephone exchange would be brought back to cent percent functioning and all services restored completely,” it said.

The state owned operator has also announced that bills will be waived off for August for the numbers which were non-functional in the Harbour telephone exchange.―Times of India