The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is in the process of acquiring new technology to expand its service to the public, both in the urban and rural areas of the Vellore Secondary Switching Area (SSA) comprising Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts of Tamil Nadu in India.
The Access Network Rural Auto Exchange (ANRAX) conversion technology is being used to provide in rural exchanges the same facilities as available in their urban counterparts. The Digital Loop Carrier being installed in Vellore would enable BSNL to expand the capacity for broadband connections in Vellore, Katpadi, Sathuvachari, Bagayam and Konavattam within 15 to 20 days. This facility would enable broadband customers to download movies available in the service. The Broadband service, currently available in 19 exchanges in the Vellore SSA, would be extended to another 17 within two months. The number of broadband connections, which was 48 in Vellore in 2005-06, has increased to 240 in 2006-07. In Katpadi, it has increased from 24 to 184 during the same period. Tiruvannamalai has 360 connections. In view of the increasing demand for phone connections in rural areas, the BSNL had decided to increase the number of WLL (Wireless in Local Loop) towers in order to cover villages with a minimum population of 2,000 within six months. At present, WLL connections have been given only to villages having a population of 5,000 and above. Five more towers are to be installed in the Vellore SSA this year adding to the existing 48.
