Cabinet clears BSNL-BBNL merger, approves revival package worth Rs 1.64 lakh cr

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the merger of Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) into the state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) during the cabinet meeting.

With the merger, BSNL will get an additional 5.67 lakh kilometre of optical fibre which has been laid across 1.85 lakh village panchayats in the country using the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). Currently, it has an optical fibre cable network of over 6.83 lakh kilometre.