Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will likely launch 4G services on March 1, according to a new report. As we already know, BSNL will be launching 4G services across the country this year as part of its revival plan provided by the Cabinet last year. In the latest update, the PSU has approached Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for releasing the 4G spectrum so that it can start offering 4G services from March 1. BSNL customers have been waiting for 4G services for more than five years now and it could finally become a reality. BSNL 4G will allow the customers to enjoy faster data speeds. In the majority of the circles, BSNL is providing 2G and 3G services; In some parts, the telco is even providing 4G data services using the existing 3G spectrum.
BSNL 4G Launch in 20 Circles Around the Corner
In some circles, BSNL is already providing 4G services using the existing 3G spectrum, but the full-fledged launch will happen on March 1. “BSNL has written to DoT asking the licensor to release spectrum, as agreed by the Government earlier, to start 4G services by March 1. A technology-driven company, launching of 4G services is an important milestone in its revival plan, which is necessary to keep abreast with the competition,” a report from Business Line noted.
The Cabinet last year announced revival package for BSNL, as part of which it will launch 4G services across all the telecom circles where it is operating. So BSNL 4G will go official in all the 20 circles first, before it reaching Mumbai and Delhi circles. Furthermore, MTNL will act as a subsidiary for BSNL once the merger finishes.
For the unaware, BSNL is currently offering 4G in some parts of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and so on. The company is providing these services using high-end Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). Full-fledged BSNL 4G services will go official across all the 20 telecom circles in the coming months. In addition, BSNL will likely introduce new 4G-only plans to the users once the service goes official on March 1. Having said that, this could be the tentative launch date and the actual one might differ depending on the 4G spectrum release timeline from DoT.
BSNL to Clear December Employee Salaries Next Week
Additionally, the report also says the telco will clear employee salaries as early as next week. Over the last couple of months, BSNL has been busy in finalising Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and clearing vendor dues. The PSU also said to have applied for a Rs 3,000 crore loan from a top bank. The Rs 3,000 crore will be used to clear the vendor dues and some part of it will also be used for clearing employee wages next week.
On the whole, BSNL revival plan is going in full swing, but the telco should launch 4G services at the earliest to gain subscribers. Once BSNL 4G goes official, the subscriber additions every month will improve and it could even beat Bharti Airtel in the monthly additions.
In other news, Reliance Jio is now the leading telecom operator in India with around 370 million subscribers. BSNL' subscriber base now stands at around 120 million and it will only grow once the 4G services launch.
