Lok Sabha Question No. 2575 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-10
Subject: Decline in Customer Base of BSNL
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Sanjay Bhatia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2575 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  MARCH, 2021

## DECLINE IN CUSTOMER BASE OF BSNL

## †2575. SHRI SANJAY BHATIA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether most of the mobile phone users are not showing any interest in buying the BSNL sim cards on account of non-availability of BSNL 4G services and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the number of BSNL mobile customers is decreasing day by day leading to huge loss to the Government on account of non-availability of BSNL 4G services and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the reasons for not launching BSNL 4G network across the country;
- (d) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  save  BSNL  from  lagging  behind  in competition with the private companies; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the Government to address network related issues like call drop and poor signal of telecom companies including BSNL?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a)& (b) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has informed that it is continuously adding mobile  subscribers  and  its  subscribers  are  increasing  regularly  over  last  five  years.  Year  wise number of wireless subscribers are as under:

| Year (as on)   | Number of Wireless subscribers   |
|----------------|----------------------------------|
| December, 2016 | 9,67,87,880                      |
| December, 2017 | 10,79,15,331                     |
| December, 2018 | 11,43,72,457                     |
| December, 2019 | 11,81,16,323                     |
| December, 2020 | 11,87,09,591                     |

- (c) BSNL has reported that it is providing 4G services on a limited scale (at few locations) using its existing spectrum for 3G services. A total 8,637 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) of 4G are working in the BSNL network.

The  Government  has  approved  administrative  allotment  of  spectrum  for  4G  services  to BSNL. BSNL has floated an Expression of Interest (EOI) on 01.01.2021 for prior registration/Proof of Concept (PoC) from Indian Companies interested in participating in BSNL's upcoming 4G tender.

(d) The Government approved revival plan for BSNL on 23.10.2019. The revival plan interalia includes the measures to reduce the Staff cost through a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), administrative  allotment  of  Spectrum  through  budgetary  allocation  for  providing  4G  services, monetisation of assets to generate resources for retiring Debt, CAPEX and other requirements and debt restructuring by raising of Sovereign Guarantee Bonds.

(e) Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  monitors  the  performance  of  telecom service  providers  including  BSNL  against  the  benchmark  for  various  Quality  of  Service  (QoS) parameters  laid  down  by  TRAI  by  way  of  QoS  regulations  issued  from  time  to  time,  through Quarterly Performance Monitoring Reports (PMRs).  Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) in India are  required  to  ensure  that  the  call-drop  rate  in  their  mobile  networks  remains  within  the benchmarks laid down by TRAI.

Wherever the benchmark is not met by TSPs, the explanation of the service provider is called  for  and  after  considering  the  explanation  submitted  by  service  providers  in  this  regard, TRAI imposes financial disincentives for non-compliance with the benchmark.

BSNL has informed that it is meeting majority of the QoS parameters fixed by TRAI for both Landline and Mobile subscribers in almost all the Circles.

The steps taken by BSNL for improving its mobile services are as follows:

- i) It  regularly  conducts  Drive tests/  Inter  Circle Network audit/ surprise checks and optimizes its network for improving its Services.
2. ii) It  is  augmenting  its  Mobile  Network  progressively  by  carrying  out  expansion  of Mobile  Network  in  various  phases  to  enhance  coverage/  capacity  of  Mobile network depending on techno-commercial viability and availability of funds.
3. iii) It  continuously  monitors  the  Call  drop  related  problem  in  its  network  for  better performance.

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