The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a Rs 1.64-trillion package deal for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) as a part of a four-12 months turnaround plan. The package deal consists of a combination of economic assist, debt restructuring, viability-hole funding, and administrative allotment of spectrum, which may also assist the state-owned telecom carrier issuer to de-strain its stability sheet, enhance landline network, and release 4G carrier.
“It is anticipated that with the implementation of this revival plan, BSNL will flip round and earn earnings in FY 2026-27,” Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated.
The Cabinet additionally permitted the merger of Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), a authorities-owned unique reason vehicle, with BSNL to enhance the latter’s infrastructure and assist its telephony services. Besides, a Rs 26, 316-crore scheme for offering 4G cellular insurance to over 30,000 villages, the usage of indigenously advanced 4G generation stack, became cleared.
This is the second one revival package deal sanctioned via way of means of the authorities in 3 years after a Rs 69,000-crore plan in 2019, which blanketed fairness infusion, asset monetisation, the merger of BSNL with MTNL, and a voluntary retirement scheme
BSNL has been saddled with steep losses (over Rs 50,000 crore withinside the beyond 5 years) and out of date generation, ensuing in a decline in sales and customers. Vaishnaw, however, defended the authorities’s circulate as aware and steady with its goal of preserving a wholesome public area unit in a strategic area.
“BSNL is a large turnaround story. It has made an running earnings. Customer attrition has stopped and its marketplace proportion is strong at 10 percent. That is giving us wish and confidence. Net earnings can be made as soon as sales improves and the stability sheet is restructured,” the minister stated.
Vaishnaw stated the package deal had a coins factor of round Rs 44,000 crore whilst the closing Rs 1.2-peculiar trillion became of non-coins nature. He delivered eighty in step with cent of allocations might be completed in years.
Citing international trends, he stated 4G carrier might hold to have a good sized patron base load for the subsequent 7-eight years, permitting BSNL to construct its business. He said that BSNL might be held accountable for clean well-described dreams and results with reference to carrier first-class improvements, sales growth, and fee discount.
Explaining the development of the 2019 plan, a senior authorities respectable stated over 92,000 BSNL and MTNL personnel took VRS, main to the salary invoice discount of agencies via way of means of 50 and seventy five in step with cent, respectively.
The 2019 package deal too had furnished Rs 24,000 crore for 4G carrier however that couldn’t be allotted in advance as BSNL became now no longer geared up with generation. The business enterprise has confronted problems in land monetisation however is making headway via way of means of elevating finances of over Rs 1,four hundred crore yearly via leasing of fiber and rentals.
“In essence most effective the 4G-associated additives withinside the 2019 package deal couldn’t take off. There has been important improvement withinside the rest,” the respectable delivered.
ABOUT BSNL
BHARAT SANCHAR NIGAM LIMITED (BSNL) became integrated on fifteenth september 2000 . It took over the commercial enterprise of offering telecom offerings and community control from the erstwhile Central Government Departments of Telecom Services (DTS) and Telecom Operations (DTO), with impact from 1st October’ 2000 on going problem basis. The organisation presents telecom offerings for the duration of the usa apart from Delhi & Mumbai. BSNL is a 100% Govt. of India owned Public Sector Undertaking with a licensed percentage capital of Rs. 40,000 crore and paid up capital of Rs. 12,500 crores comprising Rs. 5,000 crores of Equity and Rs. 7,500 crores of Preference stocks capital. Its general profits throughout FY 2020-21 become Rs.18, 595 crores.
BSNL is a era-orientated incorporated telecom provider offering organisation which presents entire bouquet of telecom offerings:
Wire line Services
- GSM Mobile Services such as 2G, 3G, 4G & Value introduced Services (VAS)
- Internet and Broadband offerings such as Fiber to the Home (FTTH)
- Wi-Fi offerings
- Data Center offerings
- Enterprise Data offerings inclusive of Leased circuits, MPLS VPN etc
- National Long Distance offerings
- International Long Distance Services
BSNL telecom community therefore, is part of current international community, offering get admission to to international locations round the arena for transporting facts withinside the shape of voice, statistics and video.
The organisation has a great revel in planning, installation, community integration & preservation of switches & transmission networks. BSNL has an international magnificence ISO 9000 licensed Telecom Training Institute.
The information of Services furnished through BSNL as on 30.11.2021 are as under:-
BSNL has modernized its community through incorporating the country of the artwork era with a 100% virtual new era switching community. BSNL has a consumer base of 1208.35 Lakh subscribers.
Wire-line Services: The great switching community for landlines incorporates 27,329 exchanges having an ability of 228.sixty two Lakh traces serving 76.forty eight lakh customers.
Wireless Services: BSNL has protected nearly all of the cities, and a widespread period of National Highways, Rail Routes and State Highways. The Cellular offerings of BSNL also are offering incidental insurance to the agricultural regions falling en-path to National and critical State Highways. 1131.86 Lakh cellular connections are operating towards an ready ability of 1142.50 lakhs. BSNL has 84,544 BTSs of 2G era, sixty two,408 Node-Bs of 3G era and 8,637 e- Node-Bs of 4G era. The 3G cellular facility has been rolled out in 6,272 cities / towns.
Broadband Services: BSNL had released its Broadband offerings in January 2005 the use of ADSL2+ era. As on 30.11.2021, 23.06 lakh connections are operating with the set up ability of 100.18 lakhs broadband ports. BSNL has protected 665 DHQ, 5,996 BHQ, 4,524 Cities and 1, 71,476 Villages with broadband offerings.
BSNL is offering Wi-Fi broadband connections. As on 30.11.2021, BSNL has 6.09 lakh WiFi particular users.
In addition, BSNL is offering a number of Value Added Services (VAS) to its landline and cellular customers. VAS is generally a 3rd celebration provider and is furnished on a franchise version on a sales percentage basis.