Coronavirus: Govt provides free internet to support work from home
Amid coronavirus outbreak, state-run telecom firms like BSNL and MTNL have come up with free data plans to encourage people to work from home.
Amid coronavirus outbreak, state-run telecom firms like BSNL and MTNL have come up with free data plans to encourage people to work from home.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT and Ministry of Communications have already issued circulars and modified rules to facilitate work from home.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to stay indoors and work from home as much as possible while underscoring the dangers of coronavirus, saying the world has never seen a crisis as grave as this.
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BSNL on Friday announced free broadband service for its landline and new customers for a month to support 'work from home' allowed by most organisations amid the coronavirus outbreak.
New customers opting for cable-based connection will not even have to pay installation charges but will need to buy modem for the service, BSNL officials said.
"Broadband service is being offered free of charge for one month to all citizens across the country, who have BSNL landline and do not have any broadband, so that they can use this service either to work from home, educate from home or anything that can minimise the need to move outdoors," BSNL Director (CFA) Vivek Banzal said in a statement.
Another BSNL official said the scheme is also applicable for new customers and after a month of usage, all the subscribers will be moved to paid plans.
The official said installation charge will be applicable for customers opting for optical fibre connectivity.
BSNL customers can apply for the connection over phone.
"We have made the whole process paperless and customers need not come to our customer service center to avail the broadband service," Banzal said.
Even MTNL will offer double data in all broadband plans of landline and mobile for a month to encourage work from home for people in the wake of rising cases of coronavirus in the country.
"MTNL has doubled free data in all the broadband plans of landline as well as mobile for one month will effect from today so that people are encouraged to work from home," MTNL Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Kumar told PTI.
The new scheme will be provided to customers in Delhi and Mumbai, where the company operates.
(Edited by Kanishk Singh)