Cable telephone lost dignity

BTCL becomes a white elephant

Special Correspondent: The use of landline telephones has drastically fall in Bangladesh due to the increase of cellular phone in the recent years. Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited (BTCL) has become a white elephant. The company has been incurring loss every year and the people has lost interest in landline cable telephones.
Accessibility, transportation, entertainment and instant news are unmatched by mobile phones. As a result, mobile phones are gradually becoming popular. On the other hand, the once popular only communication medium, telephone, is getting lost in the void of time.
It is known that on September 28, 1883, Nawab Ahsan Ullah started using the first telephone in Dhaka city. Although the journey of telephone began in 1883, the journey of telephone began in Bandarban in 1978 after the independence of the country with a few PBX connections.
Later this telephone was decorated as a symbol of nobility of the elite families. That tradition has declined a lot due to the popularity of mobile phones.
In addition to the decrease in the use of telephones in homes, it has also decreased in office premises. At one time officials were dependent on the telephone to exchange urgent messages in offices and courts. But that too has reduced comparatively now. Officers are now more comfortable using mobile phones to exchange any information in an office.
The second official of Bandarban Agricultural Bank, Ong Thoai Chak, said that at one time the only means of communication in this office was the land phone. Now that the mobile network has started, most of the work is done through mobile, he said.
Tapan Kanti Barua, manager of Hotel Hilton, said that although there is a telephone connection, most of the time there is a problem in it. As a result, most of the customers communicate via mobile or online.
Touhid Parvez, manager of Hotel Hill View, said that even a few years ago, the only means of communication was telephone.
Mobile networks have become somewhat mobile dependent. BTCL connection has been down for more than three months. Despite telling them hundreds, nothing is happening. But the bill has to be paid every month.
According to Bandarban BTCL sources, currently 1 thousand 123 customers are using telephone in six upazilas of the district. Among them, there are 962 customers in Sadar Upazila, 46 in Lama, 55 in Alikadam, 20 in Rowangchari, 21 in Ruma and 9 in Thanchi. But most of them have been connected for use in various office-court works. Even if there is connection at home, it is very less in number.
Besides, 20 people are working in the BTCL office in the district. Among them, 11 people are working at Sadar upazila and divisional level, six people are working in Rowangchari, Ruma and Lama, two are working in Alikadam and Thanchi.
Meanwhile, since the introduction of mobile network in the Bandarban hill district in the financial year 2007-08, the use of mobile phones has become quite popular.
Bandarban Grameenphone Central Manager Azaharul Islam said that Bandarban Sadar, Ruma, Rowangchari and Thanchi upazilas have about 33 thousand Grameenphone customers.
Bandarban Teletalk Assistant Manager Pramod Barua said that Teletalk has 55 thousand subscribers in four upazilas.
Sales manager of Bandarban Robi and Airtel Ainul Marjan said that there are about 80,000 Robi customers and 12,500 Airtel customers in the district.
Bandarban BTCL Office Assistant Manager Md. Humayun Kabir said that the use of telecommunication was first started in the district through the use of CV technology, but as the technology was modern, EMD technology was being used later. Now more modern MOTN technology is running. After all the work of this technology is completed, the customer can take high speed internet service (MBPS) according to his wish. The workers in the district are having a busy time.
Regarding the decrease in the number of telephone or landline users, he said that no company can provide services at such a low price as telephone or BTCL for communication. 60 Paisa from BTCL to mobile and completely free from BTCL to BTCL. You can talk for a whole month with only Tk 150 monthly service charges. However, it is gradually losing popularity as these telephone connections are not transported.