NEW DELHI: State-owned telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will cover all states of India with its 4G network by the end of 2023, said the company’s Chairman and managing director PK Purwar on Wednesday.
Purwar, while speaking on the sidelines of the World Telecom Day, also said the company will start deploying 4G networks in northern India first and simultaneously it will cover the entire country. “We have already started deploying our 4G network in Amritsar, Pathankot and Jalandhar. We have installed around 200 sites in these centers. Initially, we were expecting teething problems but we are sure we would overcome this challenge too,” said Purwar.
However, Purwar refused to give exact datelines for 4G launch but assured that things are moving fast in the right direction. The 4G rollout by BSNL has been getting delayed as the telco planned to roll out its 4G network with indigenous technology. The telco in November 2022 chose TCS as a vendor to supply 4G equipment for its 1 lakh sites.
The deal costs the company Rs 24,500 crore, which includes network gear for about Rs 13,000 crore, as well as third-party items and a 10-year annual maintenance contract (AMC). Recently, the Group of Ministers (GoM) approved the deployment of 1 lakh BSNL 4G sites in the country. Now the telco can anytime announce its commercial 4G services in the country.
Regarding the eroding market share in broadband connections, where BSNL was once the market leader, Purwar attributed it to the low speed provided and suggested upgrading to FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home). The telco lost its top position in the segment to Jio in November 2021, just two years after the commercial launch of JioFiber. “Everyone needs high speed, and for high speed one needs fibre. However, when it comes to FTTH, every circle has experienced positive growth. On the other hand, in the mobile sector, we did observe a negative growth” said Purwar.
