On account of its network expansion measures, state-owned telecom firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited said on Friday that its mobile services market share has increased to 10.63 percent till February 2019. In March 2018, its share was 10.22 percent.

The increase comes at a time when the telecom operating companies are facing stiff competition after the entry of Reliance Jio in 2016 with its dirt cheap tariff rates.

"BSNL has gained market share on the back of network expansion. At the end of February 2019, BSNL market share was 10.63% in service area where it operates," Sheetla Prasad, Director (CM), BSNL told PTI.

BSNL operates in 20 out of 22 telecom circles in the country.

According to TRAI's latest report, the public sector company was one of the two operators that made a net addition of more than 9 lakh subscribers during February 2019.

In a statement, BSNL said that it has installed 54,000 towers in the financial year 2018-19, that is higher than the total figure for the previous three years. It also said that the telecom firm has started installing 4G towers in 2018-19 and completed approximately 5,340 4G towers till April 2019.