Tamil Nadu: Work from home, e-classes push up wireline users in May

CHENNAI: Work from home and online classes pushed up the demand for internet connections in Tamil Nadu in May when the second wave of Covid-19 was intense.
While the number of wireline connections including internet subscriptions spiked in the month, the number of mobile phone subscribers plunged. It is in contrast to the trend of wireline connections declining for several years, after mobile phone density increased.

Data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) shows Tamil Nadu and Chennai telecom circles jointly recorded an increase of around 10% in wireline subscriptions from April to May 2021. Nearly 1.9 lakh new subscriptions including BSNL-FTTH voice-connections increased in a month and private telecom operators offering fibernet services recorded a jump of 4% in the wireline vertical. FTTH and fibernet are provided through wireline. On the other hand, the number of wireline connections dropped by more than 52,000 between April and June last year, which further decreased to 18,920 between September and October.
The state lost 5.7 lakh mobile phone connections in 30 days between April and May 2021, a trend common across the country. The mobile phone vertical has been fluctuating since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020. Currently, Tamil Nadu has 8.2 crore mobile connections with a teledensity of more than 108%. Tele-density is the number of telephone connections (fixed lines and mobile phone subscribers) per 100 inhabitants within a geographical area.
V K Sanjeevi, chief general manager of BSNL Chennai Telephones, said the demand for WFH and online classes increased the demand for internet connections at home. “The need for home internet shot up as more people are preferring Wi-Fi at their places to work from home and online classes. They find it more convenient than using data through mobile phones,” he said. The number of inquiries for home internet connections rose in rural areas, as well.