MTNL is the Government Company which provides all sorts of voice and data communications in New Delhi, the capital of India. Earlier it was rendering these services as a department of Government which was converted into a company. In the past decade, private companies like Reliance and Airtel have also been permitted to offer these services in Delhi. They have laid down their own cables but are using the infrastructure of MTNL to provide the services and are mostly charge 50% more than MTNL for better Services. And they have dubious ways of overcharging.
While MTNL may not be called as consumer friendly but it has certainly pulled up its socks, in last few years, in view of rising disconnections and mounting losses. Now phones are installed in two days and repairs are attended same day.
Remarkable achievement considering the fact that I purchased the mobile phone in 1997-98 because my both land line phones were out of order for over two weeks. Two phones and none working!
Now sooner or later MTNL will be up for sale. Guess who would be prospective buyers/bidders? Of course the MTNL pillion riders Airtel and Reliance. So what is the catch?
The High School and it’s small little conspiracies just do not go away. If we have to poach on customers of MTNL, which section shall be vulnerable? The new customer would be most impatient as he has hardly seen the phone working for long time.
While you have to visit MTNL office to have a phone installed, other companies’ sales men, carrying the list of each resident with phone number, is visiting door to door and has affixed his sticker on every door with phone number on it.
It has been observed on three new phones, that first three months their is persistent undiagnosed problem. Once is an accident, twice is co-incidence but thrice is certainly a conspiracy.
Calling MTNL officials do not help. Their staff will check the line and will find everything in order but phone rather data communication would not work. Or it would work sporadically.
Mr. Jain the SDO has been informed on his mobile. SMS has been sent yesterday and today. Now he does not pickup the phone. He knows the unwritten rule. No new subscriber unless he is persistently patient for months.
Now can we predict how long it will take the MTNL to be bankrupt and up for sale?

© Sandeep Bhalla