As it looks to take on private mobile operators, including Reliance Jio, in the 4G services market, state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) plans to secure 5 MHz spectrum in the premium 700-MHz band across the country.
The operator has already written to the government, expressing its interest in the 700-MHz band and may require financial support for the same. “We have to buy 700-MHz because we don’t have other options,” said Anupam Shrivastava, chairman and managing director, BSNL.