Coming July 15, one of India’s oldest communication
services — the telegram — will become history. Financial constraints
have forced the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to wind up the telegraphic
service, which would be remembered mainly as a historically inexpensive
but relatively quick method of sending alerts related to births, deaths
and emergency situations.
“The growing use of mobile
phones and Internet has led to steep decline in the usage of the
telegraphic service…it [the telegram] has become financially unviable.
After stopping telegram service for overseas communication earlier this
year, we have now decided to discontinue it for the domestic market from
July 15. The BSNL Board has already approved it. Final clearance is now
being sought from the Department of Telecommunications,” a senior BSNL
official told
The Hindu
.
In India, the first telegraph message was
transmitted live through electrical signals between Calcutta (now
Kolkata) and Diamond Harbour, a distance of about 50 km, on November 5,
1850; and the service was opened for the general public in February
1855.
Over the years, the BSNL made several technical
upgrades in the telegraph service, with the latest being the
introduction of a web-based messaging system in 2010. However, growing
Internet penetration and cheaper mobile phones in the last decade have
kept people away from the 182 telegraph offices across the country.
“In
May 2011, we revised telegram charges after six decades to arrest
declining revenues…but it did not work. It is estimated that the BSNL is
suffering an annual loss of Rs.300 - 400 crore from its telegraph
service alone. As it has virtually become redundant, it is prudent to
shut it down. However, there will be no job cuts and all those working
in telegraph offices will perform other jobs related to telephone and
Internet services,” the official added. The BSNL’s financial performance
in recent years has been alarming. From a profit of Rs. 575 crore in
2008-09, the telecom giant has been reporting massive losses for the
last three years.
No comments :
Post a Comment
WRITE TO US