New Delhi, April 4 Public Sector telecom major BSNL has added 55 lakh customers in the last seven months, taking the total number past the 9.1 crore mark, the Parliament was informed.
Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that from June 2024 till February this year, BSNL customers have risen from 8.55 crore customers to 9.1 crore customers. The public sector company bounced back into profitability during the October-December quarter after 18 years due to the policies of the Narendra Modi government, he added.
He also highlighted that BSNL was carrying out the crucial project for saturation of 4G mobile services in uncovered villages across the country, which had been cleared by the Union Cabinet at a total cost of Rs 26,316 crore. This includes the upgradation of existing 2G BTS to 4G.
Apart from this, BSNL is also implementing the upgradation of existing 2,343 2G BTS installed under the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Phase-I scheme from 2G to 4G at an estimated cost of Rs 1,884.59 crore.
Referring to the progress made in self-reliance in the telecom sector, the minister said that India has become the fifth country in the world to manufacture 4G network equipment. He said that the Aatmanirbhar network is being rolled out in the country.
Minister Scindia also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated BSNL will use only "swadeshi" equipment when it rolls out its 5G network.
He said that BSNL would start the implementation of 5G after completing the 4G target of setting up 1 lakh towers. Around 73,326 towers have been completed, which constitutes around 73 per cent of the total work. The rest of the work would be completed soon, he added.
Union Minister Scindia further stated that the 5G rollout in India has been the fastest in the world and has covered 99 per cent districts and 82 per cent population in the last one year.
On the entry of Elon Musk's Starlink in India, which has signed agreements with the country's telecom majors, the minister said the gateway must be kept open to all kinds of technology to give customers a wider choice.
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