BSNL gets 54 lakh new subscribers after private telecom companies increased tariffs
In the last few months, the number of subscribers of the government telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has increased. The main reason for this is the increase in tariffs of private telecom companies. Big telecom companies like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel had increased tariffs in July.
A media report has quoted data from the Department of Telecom (DoT) that between July and October, there was a large number of customers shifting from other telecom companies to BSNL. In July, about 15 lakh subscribers shifted from private telecom companies to BSNL. This number increased to about 21 lakh in August, about 11 lakh in September and about seven lakh in October.
Before the tariff increase of private telecom companies, the number of subscribers porting-in to BSNL in June was only 63,709, while the subscribers shifting to the network of other telecom companies were about four lakh. Apart from this, the sale of new SIM cards of this government telecom company has also increased. The company sold around 7,90,000 SIM cards in June. This number increased to around 49 lakh in July, around 50 lakh in August, around 28 lakh in September and around 19 lakh in October. BSNL’s net loss in the first half of this financial year has come down to around Rs 2,785 crore. In the same quarter of the previous financial year, this loss was around Rs 2,951 crore.
BSNL has rapidly expanded its 4G network in the last few months. By the end of October, the company had installed more than 50,700 4G sites. Out of these, more than 41,950 sites are working. Recently, Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar had told in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the 4G equipment that the company is using can be upgraded to 5G. He said that under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign, the supply of 4G equipment to BSNL started in September last year. By October, the company had installed 50,708 4G sites and 41,957 sites are working. The company had hired Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to suggest strategies to improve the business. BCG has submitted an interim report to the company in this regard.
