Agartala, May 30: The BSNL is working on a time-bound plan to upgrade telecom services in the Northeast by making available three parallel modes of transmission, including satellite links.

Announcing this at a news conference, BSNL’s chairman-cum-managing director V.P. Sinha said insurgency was no bar to expansion and improvement of telecommunication services in the Northeast. He said the recently introduced mobile telephone service in Tripura was working well and by the end of July, 6,000 more connections would be given.

“We will also give 50,000 more Wireless Local Loop (WiLL) connections in Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya within the next six months,” Sinha said.

He said hilly terrain, rather than insurgency, was the major impediment to smooth execution of the BSNL’s projects to expand and improve telecom services in the region.

Sinha said because of the terrain, laying of optical fibre cables in Tripura has been delayed but he promised that in two weeks time, 50 per cent area of the state would be covered by optical fibre cables.

Sinha, accompanied by chief general manager of the BSNL in the Northeast R. Purushottam, arrived here on a two-day visit. He met chief minister Manik Sarkar and chief secretary R.K. Mathur and held discussions with them regarding the BSNL’s plan of development in Tripura.

Sinha said he had been assured of full co-operation of the state government by the chief minister and the chief secretary.

While speaking to mediapersons, Sinha said the WiLL service introduced by the BSNL was problem-ridden initially, adding that “things have improved and very soon more connections will be given”.

Sinha said Tripura’s geographical location was proving to be an obstacle to the rapid expansion of the service. “Nine of Tripura’s 15 subdivisions are along the border with Bangladesh and there are objections from the defence and home ministries to expansion of mobile service in bordering areas,” he said.

The BSNL, however, has been trying to convince the ministries that with proper technology even bordering areas could be brought under mobile telephone service without any risk, he added.

He said utmost efforts were being made to maintain a high standard of service and he has asked the local staff to be more sensitive to the needs and grievances of the people.