State-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL) Unified Access Service License (UASL) is expected to be renewed by December-end following submission of an amount of Rs 250 crore(US$ 33,868,752.50) as Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG), BusinessLine reported citing a source familiar with the development.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will issue a license within a week of submitting the PBG, the source told the publication.
Following the license renewal, the telco will be able to provide its 2G, 3G, and 4G services across 20 circles, and has sought 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrums across these circles.
India’s telecom sector, in the efforts of enabling policies including more quantum of the spectrum, is set to establish new benchmarks in the next-generation network deployments and service delivery.
“Even if there is a delay of a week or so in submitting the PBG, the renewal of license would happen before December 31,” the source added.
High-ranking BSNL executives are also scheduled to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to hold discussions on the importance of the 4G network for the revival of the cash-strapped telco.
Notably, Shah is the chief of a seven-member Group of Ministers formed to fast-track the revival of both state-run telcos–BSNL and MTNL.
Its employees’ union–the Sanchar Nigam Executives’ Association (SNEA) recently wrote to the telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying that an “undue delay” in the renewal of its crucial 2G license is affecting its GSM and 3G services across the country.
In a letter dated November 27, Secretary-General of SNEA K. Sebastin sought Prasad’s immediate intervention for license renewal and for the allocation of the 2G spectrum.
The telco has asked the telecom minister to direct the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to renew its pan-India Cellular Mobile Telephone Service (CMTS) license and allocate 2G spectrum in 20 circles, as per the publication.
The ailing telco had applied for a license on 28 February 2020.
BSNL, as a part of phase – IX network expansion, wanted to upgrade as many as 49,300 sites to 4G and the addition of 7,000 new sites in two metropolitans- Delhi and Mumbai for Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com
