Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Andhra Pradesh (AP) has reported a milestone of 1 lakh SIM activations in 23 days. The announcement was made by BSNL Andhra Pradesh on X (formerly known as Twitter) this Saturday. However, no information was shared regarding whether these activations are direct or via MNP. In May, BSNL announced the launch of its indigenous 4G technology in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, which will soon be extended across the state.
Also Read: BSNL Launches Indigenous 4G in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh
Competitive Tariffs for Subscriber Attraction
Following the tariff revision that took place in early July in India, BSNL has been promoting its tariffs as cheaper and more competitive to attract subscribers. It is important to note that BSNL does not currently have PAN India 4G coverage, unlike private telecom providers. Additionally, of the three private players, Airtel and Jio are offering 5G services with unlimited 5G benefits at present.
BSNL's 4G and 5G Deployment Status
According to a recent CNBC report, the government informed Parliament on July 24 that BSNL 4G services may still take another year. The state-owned telecom operator is now expected to complete the deployment of its 4G network by June 2025. So far, BSNL has activated only 1,000 sites, with a target to set up 100,000 sites across the country.
Also Read: BSNL’s 4G to Arrive for 4300 Sites in Andhra Pradesh
However, another report from Business Standard, citing a senior BSNL official, stated that BSNL has installed nearly 12,000 4G towers and aims to begin nationwide 4G services by the end of 2024, and 5G services by early next year.
“4G sites are up in all four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. Sites are also active in most of the state capitals including Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Raipur, and Chandigarh," the report said.
Recently, the official Department of Telecom (DoT) shared a picture of a 5G-ready BSNL SIM card on platform X, hinting that BSNL is gearing up for the rollout of 4G/5G services.
Also Read: BSNL 4G Subscriber Base Reaches 8 Lakh: Report
BSNL's Wireless Subscriber Base
Regarding the wireless subscriber base of BSNL, the telco has been losing overall subscribers month on month. In May, BSNL/MTNL together lost 516,074 wireless subscribers, bringing their subscriber base to 88.25 million. In Andhra Pradesh specifically, BSNL lost 3,192 wireless subscribers in May, bringing its subscriber base to 6.3 million, standing last among all four operators in the state. Notably, BSNL is not the leading telecom provider in any circle in India.
