A case for shutting down BSNL

 India’s public-sector telecom operator BSNL traces its history back to the telegraph days. It’d have also been relegated to a relic of the past by now just like the telegraph, had it not been for the government bailouts and privileges it enjoys. According to Kotak Institutional Equities, its

How to Stop Corona Caller Tune on Airtel, Jio, BSNL and Vodafone Number, Here are the Tips

 If you are fed up of hearing the Corona Caller Tune constantly for 7-8 months and want to tun it off, then we have the solution for you. After hearing the Corona Caller Tune so long, users have started showing

BSNL employees’ union seeks Telecom Minister’s intervention

 

 ‘Delay in re-issuance of 2G spectrum is seriously affecting the operator’s GSM and 3G services’

BSNL Rs 199, Rs 798 and Rs 999 Postpaid Plans Now Available Across All Circles

 As we reported last month, BSNL is getting aggressive in the postpaid segment with three postpaid plans of Rs 199, Rs 798 and Rs 999. Alongside launching these plans, the telco removed the existing postpaid plans of Rs 99, Rs 225, Rs 325, Rs 799 and Rs 1,125. BSNL brought these new plans to compete with the latest postpaid offerings from Reliance Jio. Jio’s Postpaid Plus plans start at Rs 399, but the basic plan costs Rs 199 only. So the customers can now consider BSNL as well before opting for Jio’s Rs 199 plan. With these new postpaid plans, the telco has introduced data rollover facility and family add-on connections as well. Continue reading to know more about these new postpaid plans from BSNL in detail.

Domestic firms have an edge in BSNL's contentious 4G-network tender

 Prospective bidders for the contentious 4G network turnkey contract of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and MTNL need to have a minimum average annual turnover of Rs 2,300 crore in the past three financial years FY18 to FY20 or calendar years 2017 to 2019.

How to Report a Complaint About BSNL Network?

 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is one of the major telecom operators of the country. Even though the operator hasn’t entered the 4G domain in its full capacity yet, it remains one of the largest telcos in India nonetheless. BSNL has been operating for two decades now and has served millions of

BSNL to roll out 4G mobile network, high-speed internet services in border areas of Uttarakhand

 Minister of State for Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Sanjay Dhotre has said that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is all set to roll out  4 G mobile network and high-speed

BSNL Extends Availability of STV 49, Also Revises Plan Voucher 108 to Offer 90 Days Validity

 As we approach towards a new month, BSNL has started implementing changes to the existing plans. The telco has revised two prepaid plans which will be effective from December 1, 2020. Alongside the revision of these prepaid plans, BSNL is also expected to launch new postpaid plans to compete with JioPostpaid Plus plans. The new revisions from BSNL include availability extension for STV 49 and plan voucher validity extension for Rs 108 Plan Voucher. The STV 49 from was supposed to expire on November 29, however, the telco has extended the availability by another 90 days, probably due to the increased demand from the subscribers. The Plan Voucher 108 is aimed at the subscribers who join BSNL from other networks.

BSNL Reportedly Installed More Than 85,000 FTTH Connections in October

 State-run BSNL has reportedly witnessing increased demand for its Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) services across the country. A new Business Line report says BSNL installed over 85,000 new connections last month. And the telco is focussing on taking the overall number to more than one lakh per month. BSNL is the leading broadband operator in India with around eight million subscribers under its belt.

BSNL staff protest freezing of IDA

 A massive dharna in front of the BSNL office at the Bharat Nagar chowk was organised by all unions and associations of the BSNL in favour of their long-pending demands.

All telcos lost subscribers in 2019 except Reliance Jio, BSNL

 Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) were the only telecom operators to have registered a year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in subscriber base in 2019, said Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in its yearly performance indicator report.

The Mukesh Ambani-led telecom major added 90.9 million customers in 2019, taking the total to 371.1 million at the end of December, while BSNL recorded a growth of 1.5% y-o-y at 127.7 million. Currently, Reliance Jio is the largest telco by market share.

DoT panel rejects BSNL concerns over homegrown 4G core technology: Report

 NEW DELHI: A Department of Telecommunications (DoT)-led panel has rejected state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) concerns over 4G core technology from home-grown equipment makers. The development is expected to be beneficial for domestic gear vendors like Tejas networks, Tech Mahindra, C-Dot, VNL, and HFCL that are vying for BSNL’s 4G core network deployment.

BSNL is offering 3GB daily data for 40 days with its Rs. 250 prepaid plan: Report

 State-owned telecom operator, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is reportedly offering a validity of 40 days with its Rs. 250 prepaid plan for a limited period. The plan usually comes with 30 days of validity, but as a part of a promotional offer, subscribers would get extended days of the validity period. 

4G network: ‘Don’t force BSNL to go local’

 Former top officials of the department of telecommunications (DoT) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) have expressed concerns over the government’s stance that the core 4G network of BSNL should be built by domestic vendors and not global firms like Ericsson or Nokia. So far domestic vendors have not commissioned the core network of any telecom operator in the country. Such an experiment in the case of BSNL when it’s venturing into 4G services almost three-four years late compared with its private-sector peers, will not only escalate costs for the company but also competitively put it at a huge disadvantage.

India's state-owned telco BSNL 4G tender under a cloud

 State-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has told the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that domestic vendors' bids for its 4G tender are unviable as they are almost 90% higher than those offered by global vendors, according to media reports.

The bid from global vendor L1 was INR2739.7 million (US$36.9 million) compared with INR5160 million ($69.5 million) for domestic manufacturers.

“They want to let BSNL die”: The rot inside India’s government-owned telecom firms

 Almost a year ago, the landline phone that Amish Gupta (name changed) had installed at home in 2005 stopped working. It was a recurring problem, and Gupta chose to ignore it—he used his cell phone to make calls anyway.

DoT committee rejects BSNL concern over using locally made 4G core

 A technical committee set up by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has advised Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) to use an Indian-made 4G core (nerve centre of a telecom network), rejecting the concerns raised over the same by the state-owned operator. The move is expected to give a huge boost to domestic telecom gear makers, such as Tejas Network, Tech Mahindra, C-Dot, VNL, and HFCL, among others.

Outsourcing of work fails to improve BSNL service

 Maintenance and other external works of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have been experiencing delays ever since the public sector telecom company outsourced such works earlier this year. Even requests for upgrading of internet connections are at times delayed, leading to customers switching to connections provided by private players.

BSNL should retain 2G services: TEMA

A Technical panel recommends BSNL phasing out 2G services in the next two years and concentrate only on 4G services.

State-run BSNL in discussions with Vodafone Idea for 4G ICR pacts: Report

 NEW DELHI: State-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is reportedly in discussions with Vodafone Idea (‘Vi’) for Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) pacts. Vodafone Idea, in turn, has demanded about 10,000 kilometers of fibre connectivity. 

The two telco are initially looking at ICR arrangements in two circles, including Rajasthan. Plans are also in pipeline for a nation-wide pact on ICR arrangements, BusinessLine reported citing sources familiar with the development.

4G tender: BSNL says prices offered by domestic vendors uncompetitive, upto 89% higher

 NEW DELHI: State-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has reportedly told the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that the prices offered by domestic OEMs are “uncompetitive” and they are upto 89% higher as against the prices offered by global vendors.

The telco has alleged that domestic vendors have missed 25 of 35 floated tenders in the past, as per a report by Business Standard.

BSNL annual broadband subscribers can now get Google smart speakers for a lesser price

 Government-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in September announced an offer that gave annual subscribers Google Nest Mini and Google Nest Hub smart devices at a monthly charge of Rs 99 and Rs 199 respectively. The offer was available for users subscribing to monthly broadband plans of Rs 799 and above. The plan was available for a promotional period till December

Modi government ‘instructs’ BSNL to discontinue 2G services; management, employees protest

 Despite being well aware that the state-owned telecommunications company Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) is battling for survival amid cutthroat competition posed by private telecom giants such as JIO and Airtel, a committee of technical experts constituted by the Modi government has ‘instructed’ the BSNL to discontinue 2G services.

Sources in the know of the development told National Herald that the so-called ‘instruction’ has come at a time when BSNL is trying hard to revive its fortune by launching 4G services.

Centre to take a 'decisive call' on BSNL's 4G launch: Official

 NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) would take a decision on the much-awaited commercial launch of the fourth-generation or 4G services by state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a senior official said, following the mounting pressure from employee groups alleging ‘roadblock’ by the government.

Airtel, BSNL, Jio, broadband plans with unlimited data, calling and streaming benefits under Rs 1500

 With work from home culture becoming a norm for many this year and an increase in the demand for OTT benefits, 2020 saw telcos bringing in some affordable broadband plans. Let’s have a look at these plans being offered by Airtel, BSNL and Jio under Rs 1500.

Airtel Unlimited Rs 499 broadband plan: This broadband plan gives unlimited internet with up to 40 Mbps speed and other additional benefits like subscription to Airtel XStream, Wynk Music and Shaw academy.

Behind BSNL and MTNL’s poor services: A retirement scheme, staff shortages and delayed 4G

 Almost a year ago, the landline phone that Amish Gupta (name changed) had installed at home in 2005 stopped working. It was a recurring problem, and Gupta chose to ignore it – he used his cell phone to make calls anyway.

In May, however, when the broadband Internet connected to his landline began fluctuating, Gupta decided to complain to his telecom service provider – the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited or MTNL. A subsidiary of the central government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, MTNL provides telecom services in Mumbai and Delhi.

BSNL Now Offering Free ZING Subscription With Select Prepaid Plans

 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is now offering users an over the top (OTT) benefit with its select prepaid plans. The OTT benefit being talked about here is ‘ZING’. The app is available on the Android Play Store. In the app details, it is specifically mentioned that the BSNL users will exclusively get all the premium and non-premium content available on ZING for free. But the offer is only available for users when they purchase select special tariff vouchers (STVs) from the telco. More details on the story ahead.

BSNL to rollout new postpaid plans with unlimited calling, data rollover facility on 1 December

 NEW DELHI: State-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is set to launch new postpaid plans that will offer benefits including unlimited voice calls and daily 100 free SMS limit to any non-BSNL network along with a data rollover benefit, as per a report by India Today. 

BSNL Launches Three New Postpaid Plans to Offer Up to 75GB Data and Family Add-on Facility

 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will be introducing a new range of postpaid plans for its customers. The state-owned operator will launch new plans on December 1st. With this, the company is all set to give a stiff competition to the likes of Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vi. The new BSNL postpaid plans start at Rs 199 and go up to Rs 999. Furthermore, the company will be also removing some postpaid plans from next month. Apart from this, the new postpaid plans will also bring interesting features like data rollover and family add-ons to match its rivals. Here’s what you need to know about the latest BSNL postpaid plans.

Delayed 4G tender: BSNL seeks compensation from govt for revenue loss

 State-run BSNL has written to the government that it should be fairly compensated for the losses that will accrue to it due to delays in rolling out 4G services, non-upgradation of about 36,000 radio equipment of Chinese vendor ZTE and deterioration of 2G services on account of non-procurement of 2G equipment, among others.

DoT blames BSNL for 4G network delay

 NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) believes state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) is 'deliberately delaying' rolling out fourth generation (4G) network, with both blaming the other for time being taken to offer high speed data services to subscribers, which is leading to continuing revenue and subscriber losses.

Non-investment in 2G network will hurt our revenues: BSNL warns Modi govt

 State-run telecom operator BSNL has written to the department of telecommunications (DoT) saying that non-investment in 2G network will put its key revenue stream at risk, and cause a significant disadvantage to compete in the market. Around 70% of the company’s customers are on 2G.

BSNL’s warning came after a DoT committee recommended that no 2G equipment should be purchased by BSNL, even for replacement.

BSNL, Jio, Vi work from home prepaid plans listed

 A few months back, telcos brought in work from home plans with remote work becoming the new normal in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. While offices have started resuming for some employees, for some, office spaces are still a distant dream as they continue working from home. Telecom operators brought in work from home plans a few months back for this purpose, some of which are valid even today. Most of these plans are data-specific. Let’s have a look at the work from home prepaid plans being offered by BSNL, Jio, and Vi:

BSNL to offer extra 1140 minutes with revised prepaid STV 135: Check details Telecom

 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has revised its Special Tariff Voucher (STV) of Rs 135 with more benefits. The revisions include more voice calling at the same price. As noted by BSNL Tamil Nadu circle website (first spotted by OnlyTech), BSNL will now offer 1440 minutes of voice calling benefits with its Rs 135 STV. 

BSNL Rs 1999, Rs 699, Rs 247, Rs 147 prepaid recharge plans now offer more validity

 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is all set to give its customers a gift for this festive season. The state-owned operator has announced that it is extending the validity of several prepaid vouchers (PVs) and special tariff vouchers (STVs) as a part of the festive offer. With this, BSNL customers can enjoy a longer validity period on the range of prepaid plans. The offer is valid for Rs 1,999, Rs 699, Rs 247, and Rs 147 prepaid plans across the country. Here’s what you need to know about the new festive offer by BSNL.

BSNL Rs 135 prepaid voucher now offers 1440 minutes of calling benefits with 24-day validity

 Government-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has extended calling benefits to 1440 minutes with its Special Tariff Voucher of Rs 135. Previously, the same prepaid plan gave 300 minutes of calling benefits. The plan comes for a validity of 24 days. The voice calling benefits include both off-net and on-net calling. This means calls can be made to any network including local, STD and roaming calls to MTNL Mumbai and MTNL Delhi.

‘Call drop’ and poor data speed irk BSNL customers

 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is yet to provide ‘call drop-free’ communication, subscribers say. Though the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) slaps fine on telecom firms for ‘call drops,’ BSNL subscribers continue to experience this problem.

Govt. mandate on using BSNL not enough: unions

 The Central Government's recent order mandating all departments, ministries and public sector units to use telecom services of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) might not bring much change in the fortunes of the State-run telecom companies, as it does not cover mobile connections.

Centre mandates BSNL, MTNL connections in departments, state-run firms

 NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government has mandated the use of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) network for broadband, internet, and leased lines in all state-controlled departments, public sector enterprises, and autonomous bodies.

BSNL 4G tender: System Integrator model unproven; may increase cost for ailing telco

 NEW DELHI: Any move to adopt the system integrator model with a preference to home-grown vendors for building BSNL’s 4G network will result in cost inefficiencies, hurting the telco’s capability to compete in the market, industry experts and analysts said. They said that the system integrator (SI) model and expertise of local players in building a 4G network including both radio and core products are largely unproven.

MTNL may become BSNL's virtual network operator; DoT seeks nod from DCC

 As the Centre faces a challenge in merging the two public sector telcos — Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL) — it is believed to have firmed up a plan to allow the functioning of MTNL as a virtual network operator (VNO) under the aegis of BSNL.