BSNL network can collapse at anytime

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Overloaded MPLS network, on which, data traffic of many mission-critical applications of the country runs, can collapse at anytime. This collapse of network will hit badly the broadband services of BSNL, mobile broadband being delivered through 3G network of BSNL and MPLS-VPN network or leased circuit line.

This breakdown of BSNL Network will put off various government services and major part of defense communication network. There are more than 20,000 enterprise customers that rely on MPLS-VPN service offered by BSNL to run their mission-critical applications. This includes mostly banking and financial institutions and organization such as top nationalized banks, oil and gas companies as also companies of other sectors.

As a result, banking operations such as transactions through ATM and core banking processes, transactions on petrol pumps and many other services crucial for day-to-day life of people and businesses across the country can come to a halt.

CIOL has learnt from some reliable sources that BSNL’s MPLS network has noticed traffic load of up to 80 per cent on the network in its peak hour on its core network whereas IP technology does not permit such high overload, due to IP packet collisions at such higher loading. Typical loading should not exceed more than 50 per cent of its rated capacity.

“Data travels on IP network in form packets. In layman terms, the situation of core network is like over-load traffic on road. If there is heavy traffic, the speed of vehicles slows down. In case there are accidents in this traffic, all the vehicles stop. Similarly, there are too many data packet collisions in BSNL’s core MPLS network at such higher loading. Therefore data speed on BSNL network on many occasions becomes very slow adversely affecting broadband Internet,” said a BSNL official who did not want to be named.

The BSNL’s rated network capacity to handle traffic load of more than 300 Gigabit is very much underutilized due to wrong planning and inconsistent procurement policies, claimed the official. BSNL’s MPLS core network has about 200 node equipment throughout the country, which comprises core, edge and access networks connecting users in various telecom circles and associated district head quarters of the country.

These 200 MPLS node equipment, using about 400 long distance media links, are getting connected to each other. With this arrangement of what is called as mesh connection, technology should provide transfer of traffic load from one to other incessant flow of data packets.

But, with such high overloading of BSNL’s MPLS network on some paths, coupled with frequent breakdowns due to OFC cut and failure of some node equipment in its long distance network, the situation is becoming worse.

“We have high capacity optical fibre cables everywhere, but we don’t have the capacity in node equipment to connect efficiently with each other because of irregular procurement process of critical MPLS equipment,” said the official.

The links that are frequently getting overloaded and at high risk are Indore-Mumbai, Ahmedabad-Mumbai, Lucknow-Indore-Mumbai, Lucknow-Nagpur-Mumbai, New Delhi-Mumbai, Jaipur-Mumbai, New Delhi-Bangalore, New Delhi-Chennai and Jalandhar National Internet backbone.

The expansion plan of this MPLS core network was seriously upset by the internal differences between very senior officials in BSNL Head Quarters, claimed the official.

According to some BSNL officials, the nodes in core MPLS network are connected with each other through mostly Cisco equipment. These equipment are currently underutilized to the extent of one tenth of their rated capacity and an easy upgrade can be done by adding interface cards on these equipment. However, as per officials information, with the interoperability issues with these equipment, only Cisco can provide such additional interface cards required for upgradation of this network.

The BSNL official further alleged that taking benefit of monopoly due to interoperability issues, Cisco vendors are quoting high prices for such interface cards comparable to the equipment itself.

CIOL made attempt to reach Cisco on this non-interoperability issue but no comments or clarification was received by the time this report went online.

“There is pressure on senior officials in southern telecom project to finalize this tender in favour of a particular vendor,” further alleged the official.

Contrary to this claim, another senior official of southern telecom, BSNL who is closely involved with the tender, denied such allegations.

“The tender was canceled because the shortlisted vendors could not meet some eligibility and technical criteria. Cisco is original equipment manufacturer for only one of six vendors that were shortlisted. We have no issues relating to financial bids and there are no external pressures for favoring any particular vendor,” further said the official.

This official also mentioned that the tender will be re-floated within a week and with some relaxation in eligibility and technical criteria.

“We urgently need to expand our IP MPLS network. We are going to float this tender within this week with some relaxation in the tender norms,” said the STP official.

When contacted by CIOL for a clarification pertaining to this issue, BSNL CMD Gopal Das said he did not feel that the BSNL network is overloaded. He also added that at the moment he is not aware of the tender floated by the department for the procurement of equipment to expand the network.

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