“Firstly, we must perfect 1 lakh sites for which the order has been given. Once we get confidence that the technology is working the way we wanted, and competing with the global standards, and the subscriber base is increasing, then we will ask the Cabinet through our prime minister. That is our internal ministerial plan, but obviously, still a few more months to go for that,” Pemmasani said in an interaction with ETTelecom. While Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been involved in the indigenous 4G rollout, future expansions will follow the standard bidding process and have not yet been finalized.
The minister emphasized that BSNL holds a strategic advantage due to its trust factor in rural and border areas. He noted that with competitive pricing, reliable service, and potential bundling with broadband offerings, BSNL is well-positioned to grow its subscriber base. The government is also exploring the possibility of offering free 5G wireless access through BSNL to accelerate adoption.
“People have a lot of trust when it comes to security, and it being the lifeline or backbone during the disaster preparedness and at border areas and rural villages, it has earned that kind of trust and loyalty among the people. Once BSNL provides competitive 4G services, people will flock into it. In addition, the price can be competitive, and these days, people use a couple of SIMs. In my view, the concept of ‘indigenous’ appeared to be favourable. We can provide quality customer service and quality service, bundling different services with broadband. We are also thinking about coming up with free 5G wireless access. Some innovative approaches are being brought into the BSNL. So, with all of these, I am hoping these will increase BSNL’s customer base,” Pemmasani was quoted as saying.
Also Read: Around 70,000 BSNL 4G Towers Out of 1 Lakh Are Now Active and Performing Better
BharatNet Phase 3 project
On the progress of the BharatNet Phase 3 project, Pemmasani confirmed that implementation will commence immediately in allocated regions, with a target to complete the project within the next two years.
No Further Relief Planned for Vodafone Idea
Addressing concerns around Vodafone Idea’s financial struggles, Pemmasani clarified that while the government had already converted Rs 36,000 crore of debt into equity, there are no current plans for further relief or equity conversion.
“The current health of the telecom sector is quite good. We are not even discussing anything at this point of time. The only issue is Vodafone Idea which we have already done quite a bit. Rs 36,000 crores converting debt into equity itself is a large thing that we have done. But no more equity conversion. I mean we do not have any plan to convert dues into additional equity currently,” Pemmasani said, as mentioned in the report.
“The government cannot solve all the problems they have or are experiencing. So, this is not something we can do in a day,” he reportedly said, adding that the doors remain open for continued dialogue.
“They are in the public markets. They have to manage their own business. They are smart people and run multiple businesses. They know how to operate,” Pemmasani reportedly said when asked for a piece of advice for Vodafone Idea.
Also Read: Vodafone Idea’s Financial Viability in Doubt as Govt Rules Out Further Equity Conversion
4G Saturation Project Status
The minister also ruled out any immediate reduction in the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), stating that the sector is financially healthy and no new incentives are being planned.
Responding to criticism of delays in the 4G Saturation programme, he said that over 14,000 of the planned 27,000 towers have already been deployed. The remaining are in difficult terrain—forest and hilly regions—which even private players felt impossible to deploy towers. “So, 50 percent has been completed already, and another 50 percent of the work is being fast-tracked as well.”
India’s 6G Push: Funding, Patents, and Innovation
On India’s 6G preparedness, the minister revealed that funding has been extended to 111 institutions under the national 6G innovation program, with several patents already filed. The government aims for Indian entities to secure 5–10 percent of global 6G patents. Institutions like IITs and companies including TCS are actively working on 6G.
The minister underlined the government’s continued focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat in telecom, citing India’s emergence as the second-largest mobile phone exporter. Efforts are now being directed towards building a domestic ecosystem for components and semiconductors. While there are no plans to mandate indigenous technology use by private operators, incentives will be provided to encourage adoption.
“Now, the goal is how to create indigenous components. If you look at our entire 4G and 5G, the government is mandating BSNL to develop indigenous technology and deploy,” the minister reportedly said, adding that “mandating private enterprises is probably not the best thing. What we can do is incentivise them and empower them. So, if indigenous 4G works well and 5G is updated, obviously not only people in India, but other countries will also start buying.”
Government Ramps Up Anti-Spam Initiatives
To curb spam and fraudulent communications, Pemmasani highlighted monthly reviews with the digital intelligence wing and the expansion of the Sancharsathi platform, which has helped disconnect over 4 crore illegal mobile connections.
“I review monthly with our digital intelligence people. We are integrating Sancharsathi and developing it into multiple languages. Through Sancharsathi, we disconnected more than 4 crore illegal connections. We have also made a lot of changes and strict guidelines for the point-of-sale agents. So, like that, if you look at it, Airtel, you know, one year back, you were not getting spam call warnings,” Pemmasani was quoted as saying.
“We take telecom security and anti-fraud initiatives very seriously,” he said, expressing satisfaction with the progress made so far.
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