Has anybody been charged for activation of VOIP?

drshreenivaas

drshreenivaas

Messages
58
Location
Kolhapur
ISP
BSNL
I got BSNL FTTH on 08/12/2020. These FTTH connections are given by BSNL themselves and are not outsourced to LCO. My first bill was generated on 03/01/2021 and included Security Deposit of Rs 449. I have paid this bill.
VOIP is not activated on this connection despite repeated visits to local BSNL office. Now They are asking for Rs 2000 (FTTH installation charges Rs. 1000, VOIP Activation charges Rs. 500 and Security deposit for VOIP service Rs.500).
I had earlier taken a router from them. Cost of modem was 3000 and installation was free. But I was not happy about its performance. Hence I returned it and got a basic Netlink modem and coupled it with my router. Since then, BSNL employees are flatly denying about free installation and are demanding Rs. 1000 towads FTTH installation. I won't mind paying FTTH installation charges, but Rs. 500 for VOIP Activation charges?????
Is it norm? Because BSNL website says no installation charges for FTTH and VOIP is being provided for free.
 
VOIP is free . Nothing can be charged. They are looking to get some cash . Maybe you can take it to Twitter or PG portal ?
 
Your district General manager's phone number and your state chief general manager's number will be mentioned in BSNL website. Just make a phone call to them. Your local guys will not try to fleece you again.
 
Daylight Robbery. DO NOT pay anything extra. They can't charge you for changing your ONT device. Tell them that you're gonna file a complaint and file a PGPORTAL complaint
 
I was billed 500 for Voice activation by BSNL
 

I had registered complaint on PG Portal and have received a pathetic reply. ''Connection is given by BSNL TIP on his own OLT , TIP uses 250 mtr cable for the connection and the charges are as per system.''
I believe its a standard reply given by BSNL regarding installation charges? But there is no mention regarding VOIP activation. Can u guys advice what should I do now?
 
@drshreenivaas I believe what happened in your case is a billing mistake during inital connection provisioning. You mentioned that BSNL directly gave you the connection. I'm assuming you have misunderstood this aspect. BSNL has subcontractors who carry out cabling and installation of new BSNL BharatFibre and AirFibre connections. There are no more direct connections, in the old sense of the word. Even if your cable literally goes to the BSNL office to their exchange equipment, chances are the entire passive optical network distribution is subcontracted out to a Telecom Infrastructure Provider. The other option adopted by BSNL is LCO.

When subcontractors are involved, sometimes the initial installation fees are not collected upfront but added directly to the postpaid bills. When LCOs are involved, LCOs cannot demand any installation costs from BSNL directly, so they charge upfront for the fiber cable length + ONT (if you take it) + some margin.

Coming to your provisioning mistake. BSNL identifies their Bharat Fibre or AirFibre at three distinct levels of service: LL only, LL + BB, BB only. Due to the inattention of the exchange staff, there's a good chance that your BharatFibre connection was provisioned as a BB only connection, meaning no VOIP service is provisioned.

Solution to this would be: Upgrading your BharatFibre connection to a LL + BB. And for that, you can get your security deposit of prior BB only plan carried forward to the same Billing ID but unfortunately, the installation costs of Rs500 have to paid again since this is like setting up a new service. You can carry forward old security deposit only by visiting their office and submitting a letter. Otherwise they'll just ask you to pay a new security deposit and issue a new Billing ID with just LL only.

Edit: Installation charges waiver doesn't imply no installation charges whatsoever. Installation charges = New Billing ID creation (Rs500) + Optical Fiber Cable (Rs500-3000) + ONT (Rs2000-3000).
When BSNL says installation free, they only mean New Billing ID creation is waived off. Rest of the charges apply and the TIP or LCO can charge whatever. There's no real limit on it. When you take their modem priced at Rs3000, they usually make a margin of around 50% (Rs1500) on it. That's why they may choose to ignore the fiber cable costs.
 
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@pillaicha, As you said, on paper, BSNL has given contract to third party. But their work is done by BSNL employees themselves. The VRS has left BSNL bereft of senior staff and junior staff has innovated this scheme to get regular salary as well as cut from FTTH installation and bills. This came to light only when I insisted for receipt of FTTH installation charges as it was given in name of TIP. I was also told that 50% of the billed amount goes to TIP.
As for VOIP activation, I had to struggle a lot, but finally it was done by a knowledgeable person remotely with Anydesk. Now I am waiting for generation of next bill to see whether these charges are reflected on it.
I am fed up of these BSNL security deposits. I surrendered two landlines in December and then realised that I was looted with this security deposit scam every time I changed my BB plans. Now security deposit amount is about Rs. 6000 and I haven't received any cheque for it despite false promises by BSNL CC.
 
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Yeah 50% if he’s a Tier 4 TSP/LCO. That isn’t the Installation cost alone btw. Your monthly bills‘ 50% revenue is shared with TSP. So if like you said BSNL employees themselves are doing this as a side busines, it’s illegal because it is breach of their employment contract. Also anti-trust lawsuits can follow too because it constitutes as predatory and anti-competitive practice. Are you sure it’s them only? Cos if it is, that’s crazy. They can lose their safe government job of being a BSNL babu.
 
@pillaicha, I am damn sure. BSNL office is barely 100 metres away from my hospital and till few years back, BSNL was the only option for me for cellular connectivity. I still do have one postpaid and three prepaid sims of BSNL and also used to have two landlines. So I have to visit their office repeatedly and as staff has not changed for past 10 years, I am quite friendly with them.
The trouble with FTTH is that these employees are clueless and helpless about it and every decision has to be cleared by senior babus in district HQ.
 

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