Commuters say the mobile phone network coverage in underground stations remains patchy even eight years after the Chennai Metro Rail was inaugurated. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
At a time when the number of commuters using Chennai Metro Rail has surged to over 2 lakh daily on an average, mobile phone network coverage in some of the underground stations remains patchy despite eight years after the operations started, commuters lament.
Balaji, a frequent user of Chennai Metro Rail, said he avoids taking important calls during the journey since it gets disrupted on most occasions if the train enters the tunnel. “Once I had a bitter experience when I was forced to attend a client call while on the train and I lost some important information as the connection was patchy. It is time they take steps to ensure that there is good mobile connectivity across the network,” he said.
S. Ram said most people prefer talking over the phone while traveling by train on their way to work or home and disruption in the network causes inconvenience. “In case of an emergency, we have to step out of the train at a stop or underground station to speak to someone. This is not done and when the system boasts high technology in all aspects, they must make the effort to provide good mobile connectivity,” he said.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL), they have already raised this complaint with BSNL, the licensee for mobile coverage and the telecom companies too to fix this issue. “There are some technical issues. We will hold one more round of discussions to see the steps to be taken to resolve the problem,” an official said.
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