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NEW DELHI: In a move that has ruffled feathers within the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the prime minister Narendra Modi government is set to take over state-run telcos’s mega 81-acre training centre in Ghaziabad, to establish a policy research and training institute.
In a “Presidential order” dated November 10, 2023, the Ministry of Communications said, “the Alttc (Advanced Level Telecom Training Centre) campus of over 81 acres land including building and infrastructure (except the ERP Centre and Satellite Earth Station) on as is where basis is now under the possession of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) / National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation & Training (Ntiprit).”
Further, the decree said, BSNL is to take appropriate action to handover the Alttc campus to Ntiprit and send compliance report to DoT by December 17, 2023.
The development has been strongly opposed by the BSNL’s training centre, and groups representing the 70,000 workforce, particularly the telco’s executives.
In a letter dated November 13, 2023 to the state-run telecom carrier, the Alttc head has countered the move saying it was a “unilateral decision” by the telecom department (DoT), and added, “it is not acceptable as this would adversely affect the BSNL’s skill development efforts.”
In February 2022, the department issued a similar order which later came under status-quo, that however, now stands withdrawn.
“The Presidential order may totally derail the 4G/5G skill development activities of BSNL for meeting 4G rollout of 4G services by BSNL. This is highly undesirable.”
State-owned service provider, also operating Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) mobile services in Delhi and Mumbai metropolitans, is deploying a homegrown 4G network gear being supplied by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-led consortium.
The analysts say that BSNL, a late entrant in 4G services, is already facing stiff competition from private rivals such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel’s 5G services, launched last year.
TCS, a Tata group company, would initially deploy 1 lakh 4G sites for the public sector telco.
Back at the time of BSNL’s formation in 2000, the department of telecom services (DTS) transferred assets to the newly-created telecom company, as part of the arrangement through a Gazette notification.
Alttc official further added that the move was not part of any approved financial assistance to BSNL.
The Union Cabinet in a latest relief package approved Rs 89,047-crore that includes allotment of 4G and 5G spectrum including 700 MHz and 26 GHz range frequencies to the ailing telco, as a part of equity infusion.
Recently, the state-controlled operator-led centre has set up a 4G laboratory for eNodeB training to officers in order to expedite next generation (4G) commercial rollout in line with the country’s self-reliance ambition. “Alttc is aresively planning to train the manpower in BSNL’s 4G network installation, operations and maintenance.”
In a rescue plan first unveiled in October 2019, the government aimed to monetise BSNL and MTNL assets, and later appointed a consultant to further facilitate the initiative.
Queries to BSNL and DoT did not elicit any response.
The centre claimed to have trained nearly 50,000 employees in the last three years.
In a statement to ETTelecom, the All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB) vehemently opposed the government’s action.
“The department has again issued an order, and has taken over the Alttc. This action is not only arbitrary but also high handed.”
“Alttc is the premier and prestigious training centre of BSNL The unions and associations of BSNL should not allow the DoT to usurp this asset from BSNL,” BSNL Employees Union (BSNLEU) said.
BSNL’s Ghaziabad training centre operates specialised labs for Cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), fixed and wireless broadband and transmission technologies.
It caters to the training needs of Asia Pacific Telecommunity, Nepal Telecom, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), and other Central public sector enterprises.
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