BSNL to soon roll out 4G and 5G SIM with no geographical restriction: DoT

The Department of Telecommunications has announced that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will soon roll out 4G and 5G ready SIM platforms. In a social media post, the department said that the rollout of 4G and 5G services will help users to choose their mobile numbers and replace SIMs without geographical restrictions.

"STATE-RUN TELECOM firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will roll out 4G and 5G compatible over-the-air (OTA) and Universal SIM (USIM) platform, which will enable subscribers to choose their mobile numbers as well as replace SIMs without geographical restrictions," the Telecommunication Department wrote on 'X'.

The government-owned telecom service provider BSNL has been struggling with a debt crisis for some time now, owing to which the Centre has provided three revival packages for BSNL so far.

In accordance with it, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi, last year, approved the third revival package for BSNL with a total outlay of ₹89,047 crores. The government said that the move was aimed at part of the revival strategy for BSNL.

The revival package by the government also included the allotment of 4G/5G spectrum for BSNL through equity infusion. The government increased the authorized capital of BSNL from ₹1,50,000 crore to ₹2,10,000 crore.

The government had approved the first revival package for BSNL/MTNL in 2019. It amounted to ₹69,000 crore and brought stability to BSNL/MTNL, news agency ANI reported.