BSNL Will Stop Losing Users From Oct-Nov, Says Telecom Minister: Report

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will put an end to its declining subscriber base by October or November 2023, said telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in an announcement made on Wednesday.

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The minister, while announcing the third relief package worth Rs 89,047 crore, emphasised that BSNL will soon be in a position to provide stiff competition to private telecom operators in the coming year, according to a New India Express report. Vaishnaw stated, “Once the rollout of 4G and 5G takes place, the company will stop losing its subscribers.”

Also Read: BSNL’s Rs 89,047 Crore Revival Package Approved by Cabinet, Includes 4G/5G Spectrum Allocation

Challenges Faced by BSNL

BSNL, currently facing challenges in maintaining its subscriber count, has been consistently losing customers to private telecom operators.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), BSNL held a mere 9.27 percent market share in the mobile segment as of March 2023, with 103.68 million subscribers. In stark contrast, its competitors Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea enjoyed a combined market share of 90.73 percent.

Also Read: BSNL Faces High Rate of FTTH Disconnections and Market Share Challenges: Report

BSNL witnessed a loss of over 50,000 subscribers in March 2023 alone. The situation is no different in the wireline segment, where BSNL ranks third with a market share of 25 percent as of March 2023.

The report quoted Industry experts who attribute BSNL’s struggle to the lack of a 4G network. However, the minister disclosed that BSNL has commenced the deployment of a 4G network with 200 sites, with plans to launch an average of 200 sites per day after a three-month trial period.