'BSNL targets to increase market share by double in 3 years'

SHIMLA: The Chairman and Managing Director of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Pravin Kumar Purwar has said that the BSNL has set up a target to reach 15 per cent to 20 per cent of market share in three years.

Speaking to the reporters in Shimla, he said that so far BSNL has no plans to invest in the stock market as they have sufficient resources available.

“We have a target of three years to achieve 15 per cent to 20 per cent market share on an all-India basis and in Himachal Pradesh the market share will increase by one and half times. BSNL has a market share of 9 per cent across the Country and in Himachal Pradesh, we have a 22 per cent market share,” said Pravin Kumar Purwar Chairman and Managing Director of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

He said that BSNL has no plans to enter the stock market as they have sufficient resources available.

“So far we don’t have any plans for investment in the stock. The reason is that we have sufficient resources available for capital investment and during the next three years BSNL is going to invest Rs 30000 Crore investment in the network gradation.” Purwar further added.

The CMD said that India will have homemade 4G equipment and the new technology will strengthen the coverage of BSNL networks in India.

“I would say BSNL is a Company of the government of India and the government has given us the responsibility of development. It was a policy decision of the government of India to bring 4G technology to India, if we see there are hardly 5 countries in the world that have 5G technologies, India has joined it now. In India all equipment used to be imported, the government has taken a decision in the interest of the country that will liberate the BSNL and we will have Country made technology and we have started production for that.” said Purwar.

“We are starting a very big investment in BSNL and the field equipment supply will be started after August onwards. We have 1300 sites in the field and we shall connect those sites with 4G and this equipment will be an option to upgrade to 5G. We shall install 250-300 New Sites in Urban areas and also 650 sites would be developed for 4G saturation I think BSNL will have very good coverage in six months’ time as we have started a step forward. The BSNL will have better 4G and 5G experience better than the other network or equal. We are planning to launch at 700MHz, the coverage and capacity will be better,” he further added.

He said earlier the copper numbers used to be for voice calls Fibre is also a wireline connection, the use of OTT and wireline in households is increasing and the wireline is coming back. The BSNL has organized a felicitation in Shimla for the winners of the Bharat Fibre Championship league and Bharat, Launch of OTT/IPTV was also launched.

“We have felicitated the partners of FTTH partners and other partners. We all believe that the Telecom business is a business of the partnership; we will have to work collectively as a team and we would be able to progress. I would like to greet the winners who have worked hard in different parts of India and also the Bharat FTTH Partners and Bharatnet industrialists would like to thank them. BSNL has increased the Business by 15 times in four years, we had 2 Lakh connections four years ago and today we have 30 Lakh connections, It is because of the team effort that we were able to grow,” said the Managing Director.

On being asked about BSNL starting all the latest technologies after the private players, he said that the BSNL has taken an initiative for the development of new technologies.

“We are the instruments of the government for the nation’s interest, the work should not be commercial only. If we want to develop technology in the country and make it forward someone will have to play an important role, as we are the government establishments so the government has given that responsibility to us,” he further said.