BSNL in talks with data storage giants like Google and Microsoft to monetise land assets

NEW DELHI: Public sector telco BSNL said on Tuesday that it is in talks with global and local data storage companies as it looks to monetise its vast land assets as part of a turnaround strategy to resurrect its business.
Sources said that Google and Microsoft are among companies that BSNL is talking to for setting up ‘mobile edge computing’ centres on its land bank.
BSNL, which has started testing for launching its much-delayed 4G services as part of which it has provided connections to 1.8 crore users, is looking at monetizing the land assets that it has across various states that include telephone exchanges and other office infrastructure.
Chairman Robert K Ravi said that while the company looks to improve operational efficiencies, it is working out “innovative ways” to sell, or rent out, land assets. These include not only leasing out to data storage companies, but also providing them to wind and solar energy players who sell renewables to state govts.
BSNL also introduced a new logo as part of the turnaround strategy that saw the company announce a slew of offerings and initiatives, ranging from spam blockers to automated SIM kiosks and direct-to-device services.
On the part of 4G network installation, Ravi said progress is being made and the company has already put up around 40,000 new towers out of the one lakh needed for the upgrade. The indigenous 4G stack is being developed by Tata-owned Tejas, IT major TCS, and state-owned C-DoT.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said BSNL hopes to install a total of one lakh 4G towers by the middle of next year, with plans to upgrade some of the locations to 5G.
Ravi said BSNL has no plans as of now to increase tariffs. “We don’t see any need for tariff hikes in the near future,” he said, even as the company’s average revenue per user – a key metric to measure profitability of telcos – is believed to be under Rs 100 currently which is almost half of what a private operator like Airtel makes per customer.