CHENNAI: In a first such move, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has shifted around 2,000 official mobile connections from BSNL to Airtel, citing persistent connectivity issues and inadequate data services affecting day-to-day operations.
The ported SIM cards are part of the corporation's Closed User Group (CUG) network and are used by officials ranging from assistant engineers to senior administrators, including the Commissioner. The shift follows the expiry of BSNL's contract, after which GCC floated a fresh tender and selected Airtel, which participated in the bidding process.
Officials said the decision was driven by prolonged service issues. "There have been various problems with BSNL, starting from poor connectivity to internet lag. We raised multiple complaints, but that appears to be their operating capacity. We had to look for alternatives that suit our requirements," a GCC official said.
With the corporation's functioning becoming increasingly digital, reliable mobile data has become critical. GCC officials said internal communication and field operations now rely heavily on dedicated applications, through which public complaints are received, tracked and closed.
Each official is equipped with a tablet for this purpose. However, BSNL's limited data capability emerged as a key constraint. "They could not offer beyond 2G services. Porting became inevitable," the official said, noting that slow speeds affected real-time updates and response
"It's tough to download or send large PDF files. It's always slow, and I end up using my personal data," said an official from the solid waste management department.
Apart from data issues, signal reliability was another concern. Officials said one-to-one communication was often disrupted, particularly during disaster management and emergency fieldwork, where seamless coordination is critical.
Officials said repeated representations were made to BSNL seeking improvements, but with no significant change on the ground, the corporation proceeded with the switch following the tender process.
The move has drawn attention as it appears contrary to a 2020 directive issued by the Department of Telecommunications under the Union government, which advises government departments to prioritise BSNL for telecom needs to support the public sector company.