Question : BSNL Network

(a) whether it is a fact that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) network is still used by a large number of people across the country including West Bengal and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the total market share (mobile, internet, etc.) of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL);

(c) the key reasons for its failure to compete with the private players;

(d) the details of the reforms undertaken by the Ministry to update the services of BSNL in the country; and

(e) the number of new towers that are sanctioned for West Bengal in the last three years?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS
(SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) to (c) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is able to compete with private Telecom Service Providers. The mobile subscriber base of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as on 31.12.2021 for all India including West Bengal is 11,43,58,355 and for West Bengal is 26,59,841.
As on 31.12.2021, the all India market share of BSNL is 9.90% for mobile subscribers and 15.40% for wired broadband subscribers.

(d) The Government approved a revival plan for BSNL on 23.10.2019. 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. As a result of these measures, BSNL has become EBITDA positive (operating profit) in 2020-21.

(e) The number of new towers sanctioned by BSNL in West Bengal during the last three years are given as under:

Year	New towers Sanctioned 
2018-19	132
2019-20	6
2020-21	246