14,000 New Landline Connections Since Aug 5

The 68-day long communication clampdown in Kashmir has become a gold-mine of sort for the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), that had otherwise lost its monopoly on communication due to fierce competition in rest of the country. After phone connectivity was suspended in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, following the abrogation of Article 370, all landline and mobile phones remained silent for over 45 days. Internet facility available on both fixed landline connections and mobile phones was naturally snapped during this period. After 45 days, authorities in Kashmir decided to allow phone connectivity only through BSNL landline connections. The decision became the proverbial Ali Baba’s treasure trove for the BSNL that has been finding it hard otherwise to retain its subscriber base in the country.

The fact that for a population of 8 million people in Kashmir, there were only 45,000 BSNL landline connections till August 5, tells the story. Subscribers had started giving up landline connections in Kashmir after mobile phones ruled the communication business in the country. With the continuing suspension of mobile phone services, BSNL landline connections have become the only possible communication link between the Valley and the rest of the country after authorities allowed these to function.

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