BSNL to add 1mn mobile connections in AP circle

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is targeting to add one million new mobile connections in the AP Telecom Circle by this fiscal end.

"We currently have 8 lakh mobile connections in Andhra Pradesh. We plan to add another one million connections by the end of the current fiscal," J Ramachandra Rao, principal general manager (operations), BSNL, AP Telecom Circle, told a press conference here.

"Despite having huge demand for its mobile phone connections, BSNL has not been able to issue new connections due to lack of infrastructure. Keeping this in mind, we are now investing Rs 650 crore in setting up 1,400 new cell towers across the state. With the addition of these new towers, we would be increasing our coverage besides releasing 14 lakh more mobile connections from October this year," Rao said. At present, BSNL has 800 cell towers in the state.

Rao said that BSNL has created sufficient infrastructure facilities to provide broadband Internet connections across the state.

"Of the 12,000 broadband Internet connections that we have released across the state, 10,000 connections were released in Hyderabad alone. We plan to take this number to one lakh connections in the state by the end of this fiscal," he added.

"BSNL AP Telecom Circle's revenues touched the Rs 2,900-crore mark and clocked a net profit of Rs 500 crore in the fiscal ended March 31, 2005. With the circle spending Rs 1,200 crore on new projects as compared to Rs 800 crore in 2004-05, we expect a 10 per cent growth in our revenues this fiscal," Rao said.