Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Vodafone Idea (Vi) are two of the four telecom operators in India. Both the companies have a substantial number of subscribers in their portfolio. While one telco is struggling to roll out its 4G networks, the other is struggling to raise capital and expand the reach of its 4G networks. There are many who believe that either of the telcos won’t survive in the future. But that’s not true. Neither of the companies is going to exit the market anytime soon; here’s why.
BSNL 4G Will Could be a Super Hit
BSNL’s 4G plans can be a super hit in the market. The 4G plans that the telco provides right now are very excellent in value and could beat offerings from Jio, Airtel, and Vi if they are supplemented with an even excellent 4G network. BSNL only needs to do one thing, and that is time the market. It is undeniable that BSNL has already missed a big 4G window a few years back, but it still has the capacity to change its fortunes. Further, the telco also has 5G to look up to. BSNL 4G would be excellent, but 5G would just be a game-changer. The state-run telco can initially invest in its 4G networks, and when the mmWave 5G is available in India in true capacity, it can bank on providing 5G services with superb 5G plans.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) 4G Networks Can Target Remote India
To truly get ahead of other telcos and come into a winning position, Vodafone Idea (Vi) can invest in increasing the reach of its networks. As per Opensignal, the telco had the worst network coverage amongst all the private operators in the country. At the same time, the telco has been investing so much in its network capacity that, as per Ookla, it was the fastest 4G network provider in India for three consecutive quarters. If Vodafone Idea can rapidly expand the reach and coverage of its 4G network, the telco can achieve great milestones within a short span of time.
Why Either of the Telcos Are Too Big to Go Away?
It is one thing to share opinions on what these telcos can do in order to be successful again, but there’s one thing that people need to understand; neither of these telcos can be out of the market. They are simply too big to fail. A telecom operator is more than just its networks. It is a company built of hundreds of thousands of employees who are working to ensure that its services are always accessible by old and new customers any time of the day. Further, if either of the telcos has to shut down the business, it would create chaos in the current telecom market structure. It would also result in the top two operators getting more powerful in a very short time which might result in more expensive plans for the customers since there would be less competition. Lastly, the exit of any of the companies would hurt the Indian economy a lot. There will be a ton of people out of jobs. Then the companies have debt, partners, and more who will have to suffer as well.
