Landlines in the time of 5G: Private sector getting serious about business

The latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India showed Reliance Jio at 28% market share in wireline subscribers, ahead of BSNL at 27% and Bharti Airtel at 24%

“I have a landline phone that hardly works. Getting it repaired is a task even after making several rounds of calls and visits to their office....’’ This is what an official, who’s worked with the government and the private sector, had to say on the state of landline services offered by state-owned telcos. He pointed out that similar services offered by some private operators rarely break down. His concern is shared by many others.

A bit of history may explain things. While state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) offers its services in Delhi and Mumbai, the rest of India is served