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Jamshedpur, May 30: The BSNL mobile subscribers are facing a harrowing time in Jamshedpur for the past one month.

Disruption in connectivity has now made subscribers consider the BSNL mobile service as a “B-grade” service provider. The poor connectivity would continue for two more weeks.

Basic electronic equipment is being replaced in all the 101 BSNL towers set up across Jamshedpur. According to a highly placed source in BSNL’s Jamshedpur secondary switching area, BSNL was earlier using Nortel equipment, but now the department is using Ericsson equipment.

“We are replacing Nortel machinery with Ericsson equipment since the past one month. We expect the work to be over by mid-June,” said R.K. Mishra, the general manager, BSNL, Jamshedpur.

Sources said the replacement work is being carried out in full force and the disruption in connectivity was fallout of this work.

The department has to suspend the functioning of the BSNL mobile tower to carry out the work.

“The mobile service is found disrupted for hours at a stretch. The poor connectivity will cause similar inconvenience for at least a fortnight,” said the officer.

There is a total of 1,69,376 BSNL mobile users in Jamshedpur. BSNL mobiles are preferred by businessmen and professionals since it is both cost-effective and has coverage even in remote areas in the district. But over the past month, the BSNL service has deteriorated.

“The recent trouble is not only hampering business to a great extent, but has also made me realise that only depending on BSNL mobile would not help,” said a leading transporter N.K. Jha.

Jha said till recently he subscribed to BSNL mobile only, but the recent disruption has forced him to subscribe to another service provider. “Now I have more faith in Reliance mobile than in BSNL. Though it does not have vast infrastructure, Reliance service is as good as any other private service provider,” added Jha.

“The earthing system in BSNL mobile towers is flawed. Contractors assigned to install the earthing system do their job without maintaining the required standards. Consequently, electronic equipment fitted in the towers get damaged during thunderstorms, causing disruption in mobile phone services,” said Mishra.

Over the past one month, BSNL mobile service has been disrupted at least 13 times.