BSNL should take help of foreign technology for 4G network, Parliamentary panel advises
Government telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has used indigenous technology for 4G network. However, this is delaying the company’s 4G network. A parliamentary panel has advised BSNL to seek help from foreign companies until the indigenous technology is improved.
There are only four countries in the world that have their own technology stack to launch mobile networks. The central government wants to include India in the list of these countries. The parliamentary panel has advised BSNL to expand the scope of technology for 4G network. This panel says that the company should use indigenous 4G stack as well as take help from foreign companies specializing in testing solutions related to it. For this network, a consortium led by Tata Group’s software company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is providing technology to BSNL.
Last week, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the company is recovering financially. BSNL plans to launch 5G service in the middle of next year. Scindia had said that BSNL’s work is getting stronger. It is very important for a country like India to have three-four telecom companies. He had said, “BSNL’s revenue has increased by 12 percent in the last three-four years. The company’s expenditure has decreased by two percent during this period. For the last three years, the company is in positive terms of EBITDA. BSNL’s operating profit has increased to about Rs 2,300 crore.” The company plans to install one lakh towers by June next year. Scindia had said, “We have built our 4G core through the government company C-DOT and Radio Access Network (RAN) through Tata Group’s Tejas. TCS is the system integrator for this. This is a fully integrated India solution. We have installed about 62,000 towers. India is the fifth country in the world to have its own 4G hardware and stack.”
Along with installing one lakh towers by the middle of next year, BSNL plans to shift some of these towers to 5G technology. Recently BSNL has presented a new challenge for private telecom companies. The company has made available a plan with 1,300 GB data per month for Rs 333.
