VIJAYAWADA: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Friday announced a slate of Independence Day promotional plans and set out an accelerated timetable to expand indigenous 4G, satellite communication and fibre-based digital services across Andhra Pradesh.
Offers and consumer plans
The BSNL Andhra Pradesh circle said it was launching short-term and long-term consumer offers, including a low-cost daily-use plan and upgraded fibre packages. Key retail offers flagged by the circle include:
- Rs 1 Freedom 2.0: 1 GB data, 100 SMS and unlimited calls per day for 24 days.
- Rs 2,399 annual plan: extended validity with 47 additional days, taking total validity to 412 days.
- Rs 1,111 Fibre Freedom Plan: speeds up to 200 Mbps, 5,000 GB data allowance, access to more than 25 premium OTT platforms and unlimited calls.
- Rs 499 Fibre Basic Plan: 60 Mbps, first month free and a Rs 300 discount spread over three months.
Mobile subscribers will get access to Tango-powered BSNL Entertainment TV through the Selfcare App, the circle said. In enterprise services, BSNL is offering a one-month free ILL trial with twice the usual bandwidth and a 13-month service period in some offerings.
Deployment, indigenous technology and remote coverage
BSNL said it has deployed indigenous 4G technology under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and is strengthening connectivity in remote pockets. The company provided deployment figures for Andhra Pradesh and national orders for additional infrastructure.
| Metric | Andhra Pradesh / National |
|---|---|
| Existing towers in Andhra Pradesh | ~6,850 |
| BTSs in Andhra Pradesh | ~15,000 |
| Additional BTS sites ordered nationally | ~26,300 |
| Towers built under 4G Saturation Project in AP | 1,359 |
| Villages covered by those towers | 2,641 |
| Planned additional sites in AP | 814 (to cover 1,206 villages) |
| Sites where work has started | 367 (target completion March 2027) |
Among the areas cited as beneficiaries of recent builds were Araku (581 sites), the erstwhile East Godavari and Alluri Sitharama Raju regions (391 sites) and Chittoor (112 sites). The circle said another 814 sites are planned to reach a further 1,206 villages, and work on 367 sites is already underway with a targeted completion by March 2027.
Satellite service, hardware partnerships and service expansion
BSNL highlighted its Global Satellite Phone Service for voice connectivity where terrestrial networks are unavailable, underlining the company's focus on hard-to-reach areas. The circle also pointed to a partnership with Polycab to promote Made-in-India telecom equipment and a Hardware-as-a-Service model.
Additional services being expanded include FTTH (fibre-to-the-home), OTT content bundling, e-SIM and Universal SIM services. The circle said network operations centres at the circle and district level monitor networks round the clock.
Employment and franchise opportunities
BSNL said there are 104 vacant franchisee territories in Andhra Pradesh and invited applications for franchisees, TIPs, DSAs and rural distributors. The circle framed this as an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to participate in last-mile distribution and service delivery.
Revenue and targets
On finances, BSNL reported last year’s national revenue at about ₹24,500 crore and revenue for Andhra Pradesh at ₹1,089 crore. The company has set revenue targets of ₹30,000 crore nationally and ₹1,307 crore for the Andhra Pradesh circle for the current year.
What this means for users
For consumers in Andhra Pradesh the announcements signal cheaper short-duration mobile plans and higher-capacity fibre packages with bundled OTT access. For residents in remote and tribal pockets the expanded 4G and satellite coverage aim to reduce digital isolation, subject to timely completion of the sites where work has commenced.
For small businesses and local entrepreneurs, the open franchise territories present a route to partner with the state circle for distribution and service provision. Enterprise customers may see trial offers for dedicated bandwidth links.
BSNL’s emphasis on indigenous 4G and partnerships for Made-in-India equipment aligns with government priorities on self-reliance in telecom hardware, but the impact will depend on roll-out speed, spectrum availability and on-ground service quality as the expansion progresses.
