BSNL To Launch 4G Services In West Bengal: Report

Debt-ridden Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is reportedly planning to launch 4G in West Bengal. The telco will offer a switchover facility so that users can shift 3G to 4G without facing any network issues.

"We have started deploying 4G equipment actively. Due to technical reasons, we cannot deploy equipment on a mass scale in large cities unless the spectrum is ready with us. But we have begun with 100 BTS (base transceiver stations)," Calcutta Telephones CGM Biswajit Paul was quoted by PTI. Adding to that, "The testing had been carried out outside the city and the installation of 4G equipment would be "laid aggressively after the allotment of the spectrum."

According to the report, the company has already rolled out 4G in Sikkim, and now it will launch its high-speed services in West Bengal in the next two months. Yet, there is no information that when the company will launch its 4G services in all circles, where they are operating.

Furthermore, the company is expecting to garner a 4 percent market share, due to the Reliance Jio's announcement on IUC charges. For the unaware, Jio has recently announced that now it will charge 6 paise per minute for outgoing calls to Airtel, Vodafone Idea, BSNL, and MTNL. The company has also decided to provide free data for equal value. Besides, Jio is offering free 30 minutes to talk time, to protest its user base in the country.

Finance Ministry Dismisses Report About Closing Down BSNL

Finance Ministry has finally cleared that it is not in favor of the closing down BSNL. "The ministry is not in favor of closing down state-run BSNL," DoT Secretary Anshu Prakash informed the news agency." He dismissed the rumors and asserted that "This information is incorrect." However, the finance ministry has raised some objections earlier. On the other hand, Home Minister Amit Shah has already approved the revival plan for the BSNL, proposed by the Department of Telecom.