Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will keep its focus on the Southern telecom circles/states for rolling out 4G after doing so in Punjab. To recall, the state-run telecom company conducted a pilot test of homegrown 4G technology by deploying it in 200 sites in Punjab. Now, by December, BSNL is expected to roll out 4G in 3000 sites in Punjab and at the same time, also launch it in the Southern telecom circles.
States such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana will be amongst the few in the South that will get BSNL's 4G in the near future. More than 4,200 sites have been mapped in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for the roll-out of 4G, said a Business Standard report quoting officials.
Read More - BSNL Set to Award Rs 1000 Crore Contract to Nokia: Report
The report also mentioned that BSNL is taking the help of the USOF (Universal Service Obligation Fund) of the DoT (Department of Telecommunications) to install 4G equipment in new towers. The move to focus on Southern states highlights the importance of the region for BSNL's business. The state-run telco earns a majority of its revenue from these telecom circles. However, recently BSNL has been losing customers in circles such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu and more due to a lack of 4G services.
Read More - BSNL’s Cheapest 30 Days Plan Costs Less than Rs 50
But very soon, customers of BSNL in Southern India will get access to homegrown 4G networks. While the rollout is happening late, BSNL has said that the technology it is using will allow it to upgrade to 5G in an instant. The CMD of the telco has said that by mid-2024, BSNL plans to launch 5G after completing the 4G rollout. However, it seems like an ambitious statement as the 4G coverage would take about 18 to 24 months to complete.
To attract users towards its 4G services, BSNL is offering bonus data on the purchase of 4G SIMs.
