State-run BSNL loses 18 million customers in FY24

NEW DELHI: State-owned telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) lost 18 million customers in the last financial year (FY24), bringing its customer base to 88.06 million.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), BSNL lost 2.3 million customers in March 2024 alone.

With this loss, the state-owned telecom service provider becomes the second telecom operator in the country after Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL), which has not been able to arrest its subscriber depletion. 

Industry experts attribute this decline to a lack of investment in network upgrades, as BSNL is yet to roll out its high-speed 4G and 5G networks for its customers.

BSNL lost 2.3 million customers in March 2024, followed by Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL), which lost 0.68 million in the same month. On the other hand, both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel gained customers, with 2.14 million and 1.76 million new customers, respectively.

The market share of BSNL has also come down to 7.57% as of March 2024, while its competitors, private telecom service providers, are cementing its position. According to TRAI, Reliance Jio becomes the largest telecom service provider with a 40.30% in the country, followed by Bharti Airtel with a 33.10% and Vodafone Idea with an 18.86% of the telecom market share.

Throughout the year, the stae-owned telecom service provider was not able to stop its subscriber loss.

TRAI data reveals that in April 2023, BSNL experienced its highest-ever customer loss, with 2.99 million subscribers leaving its network, followed by 2.81 million in May 2023.