Upgrading network to cost MTNL 8 billion rupees!

State-run telecom operator, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) now plans to go in for a network upgradation; and if it does make up its mind on this one, then it would be shelling out a whopping 8 billion rupees, reports Telecom Paper. According to the report, MTNL plans to, in the next financial year add more capacity to its GSM segment, which plans to completely focus on at present. MTNL, further plans to make its foray into the wholesale bandwidth segment, and for this it is only being held back by the telecommunication policy coming clear on spectrum sharing. Interestingly, and this seems to be the most notable of MTNL's plans; MTNL plans to add 1 million lines, all adding upto 1 billion, in the coming fiscal year. Also featuring in MTNL's plans is an increase in data speed on its network from the existing 3.6 Mbps to 14 Mbps.

Big plans! (Image credit: Getty Images)

Among its other plans, especially after the government presents a clear telecommunication policy, MTNL intends to lease out bandwidth to private companies. MTNL will also, very soon appoint a consultant to set down a roadmap for their CDMA business. All said, MTNL is not too keen on making any investments in the CDMA business, and report quoting an official from MTNL stated that the operator failed to see any growth in the CDMA segment. Adding further, the report stated, "The company may go in for a franchisee arrangement for managing its CDMA business but a final decision will be taken only after some time."

MTNL has been making headlines, quite often, and more in the past few months. Towards the end of last month, we had reported about MTNL introducing a new plan for its highly popular broadband service, called “Broadband For Every Home", which essentially offered users a 2 Mbps Broadband plan for Rs.25 per month, in a bid to make their ADSL based wire-line Broadband services (Triband) a crowd favourite. In August, last year, MTNL also introduced a Rs.299 BlackBerry plan for their postpaid subscribers.

If taken up as enthusiastically, then MTNL has surely a lot going for it with its new plan.