NEW DELHI: State-owned telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has activated 3,500 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) across the country, said the company’s CMD P K Purwar.
Purwar, speaking on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress curtain raiser, also mentioned that these 3,500 BTS offer 4G services on both commercial and trial basis. BSNL aims to launch full-fledged 4G services nationwide soon.
“Our 4G trial services are in full swing. We have already activated 3,500 4G services in the country, and we plan to launch even more soon,” said Purwar.
BSNL plans to expand its 4G services to cover 100,000 BTS. In January 2024, Purwar said BSNL aims to launch its 5G network using the same indigenous technology stack by December 2024. They had set the December 2024 timeline, and all the sites are upgradable to 5G via a software update.
However, BSNL’s 4G launches have been delayed for years. While its competitors, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, are rolling out their 5G services, the state-owned telco is struggling to launch commercial 4G services. Consequently, the company is losing a significant number of subscribers to its competitors.
According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, BSNL holds only 7.94% market share as of December 2023. Last month, the BSNL Employees Union (BSNLEU) had urged the government to temporarily utilise the network of Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) to provide 4G services to BSNL customers. The union’s suggestion to use the Vodafone Idea Limited network stems from the government being the largest stakeholder in the company.
Currently, the Government of India holds a 33.1% stake in Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) after accrued interest towards the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) arrears of Vi was converted into equity in February 2023. UK’s Vodafone Plc and India’s Aditya Birla Group jointly own 50.4% of India’s third-largest telecom operator.
Subsequently, the BSNLEU has requested that the government, leveraging its position as the largest shareholder in Vi, ensure BSNL is allowed to immediately provide 4G service to its customers by utilizing Vi’s 4G network.
Telecom company to use indigenous technology stack
BSNL plans to expand its 4G services to cover 100,000 BTS. In January 2024, Purwar said BSNL aims to launch its 5G network using the same indigenous technology stack by December 2024. They had set the December 2024 timeline, and all the sites are upgradable to 5G via a software update. BSNL’s 4G launches have been delayed for years.