The Union Cabinet has approved a 1.64-lakh crore revival package for the government owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), said Aswini Vaisnaw, the telecom minister on July 27. The revival program will be for four years, but most of it will be implemented in the first two years, the minister added.
According to reports, the package will have three elements, to improve the quality of BSNL services, will be used to de-stress the balance sheet, and will expand the company’s fiber reach by merging with Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL).
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is in the process of deploying “Atmanirbhar 4G” technology stack, the government said. “To meet the projected capital expenditure for next 4 years, the government will fund capex of Rs 22,471 crore. This will be a significant boost to development and deployment of Atmanirbhar 4G stack,” it added.
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The government said, “digital inclusion and connectivity for all is an integral part of ‘antyodaya’ vision of the Government”. “The project will provide 4G mobile services in 24680 uncovered villages across the country at a total cost of Rs 26,315 Cr” it added. “The project is a significant step towards the vision of the Government to provide mobile connectivity in rural areas”, it further added.
