BMS Seeks Reversal of Tariff Hike, Immediate BSNL 4G/5G Rollout

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), affiliated with the RSS, has called for the reversal of recent mobile tariff hikes by Reliance Jio and Airtel. They also urged the immediate deployment of 4G and 5G services by state-run BSNL. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi dated July 10, BMS highlighted the need for BSNL to upgrade its infrastructure using global equipment until indigenous technology is developed.

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Early this month, Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea increased tariffs by 10-27 per cent. BMS stated that this significant hike has severely impacted Indian citizens, causing difficulties for those who rely on mobile phones for communication and livelihood. The trade union requested the Prime Minister's intervention to support BSNL in launching its 4G and 5G services, which would help regulate the market and prevent unjustified tariff hikes by private operators.

BSNL's Role as Market Balancer

BMS General Secretary Ravindra Himite emphasised that BSNL has historically acted as a market balancer in the telecom sector. He noted that BSNL's presence has kept private telecom companies in check regarding tariff increases. Himite argued that private operators have already made substantial profits in recent years, making the latest tariff hike unnecessary and unjustified. "Hence the government must take immediate efforts to force these telcos to roll back the rate hike," he stated.

The letter from BMS pointed out that BSNL is losing customers due to its inability to provide high-speed internet services. The trade union stressed that BSNL's full-fledged 4G and 5G services are essential not only for national interest but also for the common people. They argued that without BSNL's competitive presence, consumers are forced to pay higher rates to private telecom companies.

Challenges Faced by BSNL

BSNL has faced challenges in upgrading its network to 4G and 5G due to restrictions on using standard equipment from global vendors. While supporting the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative in telecom, BMS urged that BSNL be allowed to upgrade its infrastructure with global technology until indigenous solutions are available. "Though we do understand the significance of Atma Nirbhar Bharat in Telecom and firmly support the idea but at the same time we consider it paramount to allow BSNL to launch the services by allowing it to upgrade its existing Infra till the time Swadeshi indigenous Technology is developed," the letter said.

BMS highlighted that BSNL's inability to offer high-speed data services is causing a significant churn in its subscriber base. This situation is negatively impacting the financial health of BSNL, its employees, and the general public who are being denied access to affordable data services. The trade union urged immediate government action to enable BSNL to launch its 4G services swiftly and subsequently upgrade to 5G.

Future Prospects for BSNL

BSNL has chosen Tata Consultancy Services and a C-DoT-led consortium for rolling out its 4G services with a capital expenditure of Rs 19,000 crore. The company is currently awaiting core network technology from vendors to scale up and launch these services. BMS expressed confidence that with proper support, BSNL could play a crucial role in providing affordable and accessible telecom services across India.

The letter concluded by urging swift government intervention to ensure that BSNL can quickly deploy its 4G services and later transition to 5G. "We are confident that with the right support, BSNL can play a crucial role in providing affordable and accessible telecom services to the people of India," it stated.