BSNL Eyes Subscriber Growth with Competitive Tariffs and Free 5G Services: Report

BSNL Eyes Subscriber Growth with Competitive Tariffs and Free 5G Services: Report
The government is preparing to seek Cabinet approval for an additional 1 lakh 4G sites for state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), once the ongoing deployment of the first phase stabilizes. According to Minister of State for Communications, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, the plan hinges on the performance of the current rollout and its ability to match global standards while attracting subscribers.

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Second Phase of BSNL 4G Rollout

“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.

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BSNL Positioned for Rural Growth

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.