BSNL will not be sold, govt says BSNL 4G coverage to be completed in 2 years

Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Communications, Wednesday said that the government has no plans to privatise the State-owned telecom company. He noted that BSNL is likely to finish 4G coverage in India within 18 to 24 months.

Government-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) expects to finish 4G coverage in India within 18 to 24 months and the government has no plans to privatise the telco, Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Communications, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said on Wednesday. BSNL had invited an Expression of Interest (EoI) on January 1, 2021, for prior registration or Proof of Concept (PoC) from Indian companies interested in participating in its upcoming 4G tender, he said. "The licensed telecom service providers in the country are using diverse cellular mobile technologies viz., 2G, 3G, 4G and their combinations to provide voice and data services," Dhotre said, adding that the choice of technology for provision of telecom services are left to operators. "BSNL will follow the applicable rules, guidelines or public procurement orders of the government, including rule 144(xi) of the General Financial Rules, 2017, in this regard," he said.