Telecom Lead India: The state-run telecom service
provider BSNL has reported net loss of about Rs 8,850.70 crore during fiscal
2011-12.
BSNL net loss during 2010-11 was Rs 6,384.26.
The significant loss during FY 2011-12 was mainly due to
regulatory expenses and non-receipt of funds for its rural landlines
operations.
BSNL said its revenue during 2011-12 declined to Rs 27,933.5 crore from Rs
29,687.62 during the previous financial year.
BNSL lost its top position due to competition from
telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Reliance
Communications, etc.
During fiscal 2011-12, Bharti Airtel posted Rs 71,451 crore revenue, up 20 percent
compared with the same period last fiscal. Airtel posted 30 percent drop in
profit to Rs 4,259 crore in fiscal 2011-12 against Rs 6,047 crore in FY 2011.
In 2004-05, BSNL made a profit of Rs 10,183 crore.
During 2010-11, BSNL losses increased to Rs 6,384 crore
mainly due to outgo on salaries and expenses borne by the PSU for procuring 3G
and BWA spectrum.
The company did not receive around Rs 1,600 crore viability gap funding for its
rural landline operations from government which pulled down BSNL’s income.
To improve financial performance, BSNL is planning introduce video calling services and free call
transfer from mobile phones by end of this financial year. BSNL will invest
around Rs 400 crore and make use of Next Generation Network technology to
transform its landline services
Recently, Minister of State for Telecommunications and IT
Milind Deora said that subsidies worth over Rs 13,322 crore have been disbursed
to BSNL from 2002-03 up to July 31, 2012 under various schemes of the Universal
Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
The disbursements stood at Rs 2,009.06 crore (2009-10),
Rs 3,001.70 crore (2010-11), Rs 1,634.62 crore (2011-12) and Rs 48.16 crore
(2012-13 upto August 31).
