MTNL cellular services to begin on Feb. 7

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN 31. The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) will begin its cellular services on February 7, nearly a fortnight behind schedule. Denying the hand of private cellular companies behind the day, officials said security restrictions had prevented them from installing a crucial tower atop a Government building near the Republic Day parade route.

Officials said they were prepared for the launch of the services on the due date of January 26 but just when their engineers had started installing the equipment, security agencies suddenly declared the Shastri Bhavan roof out of bounds.

Work was initially supposed to be suspended till the Beating Retreat ceremony but its cancellation due to the earthquake has given them the opportunity to complete the job earlier.

MTNL's services have been consistently delayed. Initially, this was due to objections from cellular companies and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

Even after riding over these procedural blocks, MTNL was unable to launch the services on August 15 last year due to technical reasons.

The Telecom Commission Chairman, Mr. Shyamal Ghosh, had then owned responsibility for the delay.

``All the cells were not functional at that time. We thought it would be better to take more time and launch services that do not suffer from any inadequacy.''

But the explanation did not wash with many others including the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai, Mr. Kirit Somaiah, who suspected some metro cellular companies for the long delay by MTNL in starting cellular operations.

Eyebrows are now being raised over the tariff structure announced by MTNL. Its two private sector competitors in Delhi have promptly lowered their rates to match those offered by MTNL.

As a result, the first day's deluge of people queuing for application forms has turned into a trickle. Not many of those who had exhausted the initial print run of one lakh application forms chose to become subscribers of MTNL's Dolphin service and as a result there is pressure on MTNL to initiate a new round of price war.

Sources said though MTNL can launch the services on any day, the actual ceremony has been fixed for February 7 because of the Gujarat tragedy.

By then the Communications Minister, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan, who will be the most visible face at the ceremony, would have completed the mandatory ministerial inspection of the flattened town of Bhuj.

The ``final date'' for the launch was finalised at a meeting called by Mr. Paswan today and took place against the backdrop of considerable embarrassment at the higher echelons over the delay in commissioning of services.

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