BSNL to upgrade telephone exchanges in cities by March end

State-run BSNL today said the modernisation of its telephone exchanges, which are being equipped with new technology provided by Chinese firm Huawei, in cities is expected to complete by the end of next month.
"We are about to finish Phase 1 of exchange modernisation project using next generation technology from Huawei by March this year," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director RK Upadhyay told PTI.
All old exchanges are at the end of life cycle as support from companies which supplied equipment is coming to end, he said. "This (modernisation) will equip landline phones with facilities similar to mobile phones," he added.

The telecom PSU shortlisted Huawei in 2012 through an open tender for transforming 10,000 exchanges in urban centres. Under the project, the Chinese firm has been entrusted to modernise telephone exchanges that has a capacity of 10 lakh lines.
"After this transformation, BSNL customers will be able to experience enhanced broadband speed, video calling, call transfer, modern cloud computing based services etc," Upadhyay said.
BSNL has decided to work with the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) for modernising 27,000 exchanges in rural area.

"Rural exchanges were built using technology from C-DOT. We have therefore decided to work with C-DOT for rural exchanges in Phase 2 which will be completed by end of next fiscal. We will have total of 4 million lines on next generation technology by end of next fiscal," Upadhyay said.

Fixed line connections have been declining consistently due to more usage of mobile phones. As per the latest Trai data, landline subscriber base declined from 29.08 million at the end of October, 2013 to 29.01 million at the end of November, 2013.
BSNL, which provides mobile and landline services across the country except Delhi and Mumbai, dominates the landline market with over 65 per cent share.