As many as 17.9 lakh (1.79 million) subscribers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and 203,000 customers of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd surrendered landline telephones between April to October this year, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

"The number of BSNL and MTNL subscribers who surrendered the landline telephones during the current year till October 31, 2003 was 17.9 lakh and 203,000 respectively," Minister of State for Communications and IT Ashok Pradhan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

However, despite the surrender of phones there was no overall revenue loss as, during these years, there has been an increase in the direct exchange lines (WLL and cellular), he said.

Pradhan said that the telecom sector as a whole had attracted FDI amounting to about Rs 9,595 crore (Rs 95.95 billion) till August 2003.

"No apprehensions regarding debts having impact on foreign institutional investment have been received from the cellular operators," he added.

Pradhan said that the total waiting list in the country under various categories including general and special was pegged at 18.55 lakh (1.85 million) as on October 2003.