New Delhi: State-owned telecom firm BSNL is planning to launch its 4G service in December 2023 on a small scale and then roll it out across the country by June 2024. This was announced by BSNL Chairman and Managing Director P. K. Purwar on Saturday at the India Mobile Congress.
Purwar also said that the company plans to upgrade its 4G service to 5G after June 2024. This is a significant development for BSNL, which has been lagging behind its private sector competitors in the rollout of 4G and 5G services.
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Market Position Of In Telecom Operators In India
BSNL is one of the largest telecom operators in India, but it has been struggling financially in recent years. The company has been losing market share to private sector players like Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea.
The launch of 4G services is expected to help BSNL regain its market share and improve its financial performance. 4G and 5G services are in high demand in India, and BSNL can capitalize on this demand by offering competitive pricing and services.
“BSNL 4G service is ready for launch in Punjab in December. We have already done the hardening required for a network with 200 sites. We are in the process of installing 3,000 sites in Punjab,” Purwar said. He said that BSNL will gradually increase network deployment to 6,000 and then to 9,000, 12,000 and 15,000 sites per month.
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BSNL’s Target By Next Year
“Our target is to complete the 4G rollout by June 2024. Post-June 2024, we will be moving to 5G services,” Purwar said.
IT company TCS and government-owned ITI have bagged orders worth about Rs 19,000 crore from BSNL for deploying the 4G network, which is upgradable to 5G. Purwar said that the BSNL has enough spectrum to deploy 5G services once the 4G rollout is completed.
The Indian government has approved a third revival package for BSNL, totaling Rs 89,047 crore. This package includes the allotment of 4G/5G spectrum to BSNL and an increase in BSNL’s authorized capital from Rs 1.50 lakh crore to Rs 2.10 lakh crore.
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The government had previously approved two revival packages for BSNL and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) in 2019 and 2022, totaling Rs 69,000 crore and Rs 1.64 lakh crore, respectively. As a result of these packages, BSNL has started earning operating profits since FY 2021 22.
The third revival package is expected to help BSNL improve its financial performance and competitiveness in the telecom market. The allotment of the 4G/5G spectrum will enable BSNL to launch these services and compete with private sector telecom operators, as per a report carried by ET Telecom.
(With inputs from agencies)
