BSNL Monetising Land and Tower Assets by Leasing to Bring Additional Revenue: BSNL Chairman

It is well known that the state-led telecom operator, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been financially strained for quite some time now. The telecom operator has been facing a cash crunch, has been struggling to pay salaries to its employees and is also under massive debt. In a new interview conducted by ET Telecom, BSNL Chairman PK Purwar has said that the telco will require 4G airwaves to articulate its 4G network and provide better services to the subscribers which will improve the telco’s situation. He also added that the telecom operator is looking to cut the workforce in half when the government approves the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS). It is also on the task of clearing partner dues, which have been pending since long.

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Potential Revenue from BSNL Land Assets Calculated to be Rs 1,000 Crores

To the question of how BSNL is managing to rake in additional revenue from various sources, Purwar highlighted that the company is monetising the land assets by leasing and renting. By means of rental, BSNL is expecting to bring in around Rs 200 crore of revenue. Purwar added that this number could be upped to Rs 1,000 crore by the end of the year, meaning that BSNL could an additional Rs 1,000 crore to its annual revenue by renting and leasing. The second way BSNL is currently monetising its assets is by getting tenants for its towers. The company currently has 68,000 towers, out of which, 13,000 to 14,000 have been given to others. The company said that it is looking to increase the tenancy of these towers to increase the revenue. The chairman also added that the telco would look forward to providing value-based services to retain loyal customers.