New Delhi: The government has approved an additional Rs 6,000 crore for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to speed up its 4G rollout, according to sources. The funding will be used to deploy around one lakh 4G sites across India.
Cabinet Clears Additional Funding
The Union Cabinet reportedly approved the Rs 6,000 crore allocation in a meeting last Friday. However, the decision was not officially announced during the press briefing. This additional funding is part of BSNL’s ongoing efforts to expand 4G services, which have faced multiple delays.
Out of the estimated Rs 19,000 crore required for BSNL’s 4G rollout, the company had already spent around Rs 13,000 crore. To bridge the funding gap, BSNL approached the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which forwarded the proposal to the Cabinet.
MTNL’s 4G Rollout Plans
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), which provides telecom services in Delhi and Mumbai, signed a 10-year agreement with BSNL a few months ago to offer 4G services to its users. This funding boost is expected to benefit MTNL’s network expansion as well.
Government’s Investment in BSNL and MTNL
Since 2019, the government has invested around Rs 3.22 lakh crore in BSNL and MTNL under various revival packages. The latest allocation is aimed at accelerating BSNL’s 4G deployment, which is critical for its long-term survival in a competitive telecom market.
With this investment, BSNL is expected to improve its network coverage and prepare for future upgrades, including the transition to 5G. However, the company still faces operational challenges and competition from private telecom players.
