Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has experienced a significant increase in new customers following recent price hikes by private telecom giants Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. On July 3 and 4, these companies raised their tariffs by 11-25%, prompting a wave of customer complaints on social media and a shift towards BSNL. The state-run company saw approximately 2,50,000 users switch via mobile number portability (MNP) and gained around 2.5 million new connections due to its more affordable plans.
BSNL’s competitive pricing offers a stark contrast to the increased tariffs of private telecom providers. For example, BSNL’s annual plan with 395 days of validity is priced at Rs 2,395, compared to Airtel and Reliance’s Rs 3,599 for similar data offerings. Furthermore, BSNL’s monthly plans start at Rs 108, significantly lower than the minimum 28-day plans from Airtel and Vodafone Idea at Rs 199 and Rs 189 from Reliance Jio.
Despite the surge in customers, BSNL continues to lag behind private competitors in terms of infrastructure, particularly with the ongoing rollout of 4G and the absence of 5G services. However, BSNL plans to begin its 5G rollout next year, which may further enhance its market position.