BSNL plans Rs 17,000 cr expansion this fiscal

New Delhi, Sep 29 (UNI) The country's largest telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) today said it will invest Rs 17,000 crore to expand its network during the current financial year.

The major area of expansion has been identified as the mobile phones and a 60 million tender for GSM lines has been floated by the company.

The company has over two crores mobile subscribers and its net switching capacity is about six crores. In the next three years the company plans to double its net switching capacity.

The company has invested Rs 8,892 crores in the expansion of its Telecom network and new addition of telephone lines during the last financial year.

It is the largest service tax payer in India contributing more than Rs 10,000 crores to the government. Exchequer by way of Taxes and levies.

BSNL has declared a dividend of Rs 1,175 crores, which is inclusive of interim dividend of Rs 375 crores for the fiscal year 2005-06.

The company has earned a net profit of Rs 8,940 crores on the revenue of Rs 40,177 crores for the year 2005-06.

The company has registered a net increase of 11.13 per cent in revenue during the year. The operating profit of the company for the year was Rs 8,270 crores showing a growth of 23.69 per cent over the previous year.

The highlight of the performance in 2005-06 was the net addition of 82 lakh line including 77 lakh new cellular customers and launching of broadband services in all the major towns of the country. BSNL is the main telecom service provider to BPO and KPO industries in the country and also the largest service provider to the rural India.

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