The government has taken a number of measures to ensure the revival of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and these state-run telecom operators would launch 4G and 5G services "based on techno-commercial considerations", Minister of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan said on Friday.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Chauhan wrote that the government had approved a revival plan for BSNL and MTNL on 23 October 2019.
"The revival plan inter-alia includes measures to reduce the Staff cost through a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for employees of age 50 years and above, administrative allotment of spectrum for providing 4G services with funding through budgetary allocation, monetisation of non-core and core assets to generate resources to retire debt, meet CAPEX and other requirement and debt restructuring by raising of Sovereign Guarantee Bonds," he said.
"It has also been approved to administratively allot spectrum to BSNL and MTNL for providing 5G services on the same principles as followed for 4G. BSNL and MTNL would rollout 4G and 5G services based on techno-commercial considerations," the minister added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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