BSNL to add 50,000-60,000 more mobile towers; FY26 operating profit to grow in double digits: Scindia

New Delhi: State-run BSNL will add another 50,000-60,000 mobile towers to build a robust network and the company's operating profit is expected to grow in double digits in the current fiscal, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday.

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Scindia said that BSNL has made its biggest capital expenditure of Rs 20,000 crore in a single year in building a 4G network, which will be upgraded to a 5G network.

"Today, 1 lakh towers of BSNL are on the ground ... radiating 4G signal on our own Atmanirbhar stack. The basis on which we are now looking to expand that network. So, 98,000 towers to be exact are pretty much done. We are trying to expand that to another 50,000- 60,000 towers. Ensure the robustness of that network and then very quickly switch to 5G," he said at Times Now Summit.

He said switching to 5G is not going to be as difficult as BSNL's network is build on self reliant indigenous Atmanirbhar 4G stack because and there will be need to put additional mobile sites that can be updated in the core network software.

The minister said BSNL had 8.55 crore subscribers in June 2024 and at present it has 9.27 crore subscribers.

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Scindia said BSNL posted a quarterly profit of Rs 262 crore after an 18-year gap.

"On an EBITDA basis, in 2023-2024, on an operating margin basis, we made close to Rs 2,395 crores. We are now spinning out cash. In 2024-2025, that grew to Rs 5,100 crores. My hope is that this year, which closes next week, we should increase that Rs 5,000 crore operating profit by double-digit figures in fiscal 2025-26," Scindia said.

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