BSNL will set up 1 lakh Wi-Fi hotspots across India by March 2019. It will invest about Rs. 1,800 crores in setting up 70,000 Wi-Fi hotspots. Rest 25,000 spots will be funded by USOF and 5,000 on sharing basis.
State-owned telecom firm BSNL will set up 1 lakh Wi-Fi spots across India by March 2019, Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava said on Tuesday.
“We have plans to set up 1 lakh Wi-Fi by March 2019, which include 25,000 for rural areas. The USOF (Universal Service Obligation Fund) will provide financial support for rural Wi-Fi hotspots,” Shrivastava told reporters on the sidelines of launching a GST application for BSNL customers.
The BSNL CMD said the company will invest about Rs. 1,800 crores in setting up 70,000 Wi-Fi hotspots and the USOF is providing a fund of Rs. 900 crores, including three years of operation and maintenance for setting up 25,000 hotspots.
“We will set up another 5,000 Wi-Fi hotspots on revenue share basis and BSNL is not required to invest capital… we are only providing bandwidth,” Shrivastava said.
As for the GST app, he said BSNL has selected Masters India that will provide software to customers of the state-run firm.
BSNL GM Finance Y N Singh said any trader on BSNL network can use Masters India’s software for free for generating up to 2,000 invoices a year.
“It is a prepaid service. Beyond 2,000 invoices, charges will apply as per slab rate fixed by the company,” Singh said.