BSNL Ends Free Unlimited Calls For All Plans; Rs 400 Cr BharatNet Contract Slips Away From BSNL

State-run carrier BSNL has yet again surprised us, albeit with their strange policy change. Now, no more free unlimited calls on combo plans for BSNL users, and this doesn’t make any sense.

Meanwhile, due to poor quality of service, BSNL has lost a crucial Rs 400 crore worth of contract, that too from PSU or Public Sector Unit. 

Another big fail for BSNL, right at a juncture when they need more ammunition and more finances for tackling their crucial issues of survival.

Where are the thinking caps of BSNL strategists?

No More Free Unlimited Calls For BSNL Users

In a surprise move, BSNL has decided to end all free unlimited calling feature for all users, under the various combo plans.

At a time when every telecom operator is providing free unlimited calling with every prepaid or postpaid combo plan, this is a step backward for BSNL and can take away their customers.

As per their latest revision, users under combo-plans will now get only 250 minutes of free calling per day, which was unlimited before.

Once the limit of 250 minutes is over, the user will be charged for the calls. 

This move has been done to increase BSNL’s profits, and help them survive, but if you ask a user, then it’s certainly a very bad move. 

Rs 400 Crore Of Contract Lost By BSNL

BSNL’s woes are refusing to get away.

Even as the company has failed to provide salaries to its employees for 2nd time in history, BSNL has lost a crucial contract worth Rs 400 crore.

This can prove to be a huge financial burden on the state-run telecom operator.

As per reports coming in, Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL), a PSU under Govt. of India had allocated BSNL a crucial project to maintain and expand optical fibers under the BharatNet project.

Every village is being connected with high-speed Internet connection under Bharat Net project, and BSNL was the company which was assigned this contract from October 2017 to June 2019.

However, now, BBNL has decided to award the contract to another company called CSC SPV.

BSNL was paid Rs 800 crore for this project, but as per some officials from BBNL, “the company failed to provide quality services..”

Interestingly, the new company which will now take over the project will charge less money compared to BSNL: While BSNL charged Rs 15,000 per year, per kilometer for maintaining the optical fiber, CSCs will charge just Rs 9,600 per year, per kilometer for the same work.

We will keep you updated, as more details come in.