Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has made a series of strategic announcements in recent months. These have been aimed at revitalising its existence in India’s telecom sector, which has recently been largely dominated by private players such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi). In the last few years, the state-owned telecom operator has been perceived as a laggard due to its non-existent 4G and 5G infrastructure at the time. However, it has prioritised the indigenous technology stack to introduce several consumer-centric offerings, amidst a falling subscriber base. Some of the most notable recently announced initiatives include a Re 1 Freedom Offer, Q-5G Service, and doorstep delivery of SIM Cards. These signal an effort by BSNL to not only attract new subscribers but also challenge private players in India’s telecom space.
Here is a closer look at five of the most recent announcements from BSNL.
Deployment of 5G Captive Non-Public Network
On August 3, BSNL signed a pact with Numaligarh Refinery Limited for the deployment of the first 5G captive non-public network (CNPN) in its sector. This strategic partnership will see the state-owned telecom provider utilise indigenous infrastructure to develop a secure and reliable private 5G network.
The network will be used within the public sector firm’s premises and is said to be key for critical industrial operations.
Re. 1 Freedom Offer
BSNL on August 1 announced a limited-time prepaid recharge plan dubbed Freedom Offer. It is priced at just Re. 1 and comes with a validity of 30 days. During this period, BSNL consumers can enjoy 2GB of 4G data per day, unlimited voice calls, and 100 daily SMS. As per the telecom operator, the speeds will be reduced to 40kbps once the allotted daily quota is exhausted, under the fair usage policy (FUP).
However, this plan is only applicable for new BSNL subscribers and runs from August 1 to 31. BSNL is also offering a free SIM card to those who subscribe to the Freedom Offer.
Rollout of 5G Services in Delhi, More Key Cities
Citing official sources, a report dated June 27 suggested that BSNL is gearing up to launch its 5G services in Delhi and select other cities in India by the end of September. The test phase of 5G technology was said to have been completed at the recently established 4G sites in most state capitals.
5G sites were reportedly activated in Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Patna, as part of the first phase of the deployment of 1 lakh 4G towers in India.
Doorstep Delivery of SIM Cards
On June 25, BSNL introduced its doorstep delivery of SIM cards. It has a new portal through which consumers can get SIM cards delivered to their homes without having to leave the premises. New users can choose between prepaid and postpaid SIM connections and complete a self-KYC verification to finalise the process. They can also port their existing numbers from other service providers to BSNL.
Consumers can contact the helpline number 1800-180-1503 for any doubts or queries, as per the telecom operator.
Launch of Q-5G Service, SIM-Less Quantum 5G FWA for Enterprises
BSNL on June 19 announced the name of its 5G service in India. It is dubbed Q-5G, short for Quantum 5G. However, not much has been made official about what kind of network speeds consumers can expect once it is publicly available. Meanwhile, the telecom operator also had a soft launch of its Q-5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) service in select circles. It is essentially an internet lease line built on 5G FWA and is aimed at business and enterprise users, instead of general consumers.
Notably, the service uses an indigenous technology stack and does not require a SIM card or wires. BSNL’s 5G FWA plans in India start at Rs. 999 per month, offering a 100 Mbps network speed.
