BSNL rolls out 1000 WIFI hotspots to counter 4G challenge

Amid the saga of revolutionary launch of Reliance Jio, the state-owned PSU, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is all set to launch around 1000 high speed WIFI hotspots across the state of Kerala, the CGM of Kerala BSNL Circle announced in Thiruvananthapuram. He said, "This will be launched in a month and would give better speed than 4G."

The CGM added, "Once this hotspots are commissioned, whenever a customer uses his mobile phone, his network service will be directly taken over to the wifi hotspot. Then, he will not be on 3G but on 4G."

The new BSNL 4G project has been implemented in collaboration with the equipment from Larsen and Toubro. As per the CGM, a huge cost to buy 4G spectrum was the main hindrance to implement 4G service but now, it is expected to happen by March 2017.

"The tender has already been floated for 4G. It is under-evaluation in Delhi. Asking for too much money from the government to buy spectrum was the biggest issue with BSNL. And this is why our 4G launch was delayed," he concluded.