New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications announced on Saturday, August 10, that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will soon introduce a 4G-5G ready Universal SIM (USIM) and Over-the-Air (OTA) services. Users will be able to activate this SIM from anywhere.

On the social media platform X, the Department of Telecommunications announced that once 4G and 5G services are launched, users can choose their mobile numbers and change their SIM cards without geographical restrictions. BSNL developed this SIM in partnership with Pyro Holdings Private Limited.

BSNL’s 4G/5G SIM Launches With ₹89,047 Crore Revival Plan

BSNL’s Universal 4G and 5G-ready SIM is part of its revival plan, supported by a ₹89,047 crore package approved by the Union Cabinet last year. The package includes allocating 4G and 5G spectrum to BSNL through equity investment and increasing its authorized capital from ₹1,50,000 crore to ₹2,10,000 crore.

BSNL, the public sector telecom company, has been struggling with debt for some time. The Government of India has supported the company with three revival packages so far.

In 2019, a ₹69,000 crore package was approved, which helped stabilize BSNL and MTNL. In 2022, a second revival package of ₹1.64 lakh crore was approved, focusing on strengthening the balance sheet and expanding the fiber network.

PM Modi has introduced a plan for the 6G network, with the service expected to begin in India by 2030. Meanwhile, BSNL is still working on launching its 5G service alongside 4G. Union IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav stated in January 2023 that BSNL aims to start 5G by April 2024. In contrast, Airtel and Jio began their 5G services in India in October 2022.

PM Modi Unveils 6G Plan

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched BSNL mobile service in Lucknow on October 19, 2002. Within 1-2 years, it became India’s top mobile service provider. Even though private operators had started their services earlier, BSNL’s ‘CellOne’ brand quickly gained popularity.

When BSNL began, private operators charged Rs 16 per minute for calls and Rs 8 per minute for incoming calls. BSNL made incoming calls free and reduced outgoing call rates to Rs 1.5. The period from 2002 to 2005 was a golden era for BSNL, with long queues of 3-7 km for their SIM cards.

Mobile Subscribers Grew By 39.3 Lakh In February 2024

According to February 2024 data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which monitors telecom companies in India, the number of mobile subscribers grew by 39,30,625 from January to February 2024. The total number of mobile subscribers rose from 116.07 crore in January to 116.46 crore in February.

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