State-run MTNL is targeting a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore in two years from asset monetisation as it looks to turn profitable by next financial year.
The telecom operator, which offers services in Delhi and Mumbai, is also looking at creating more synergy with BSNL while the merger of the two may take place in 3-4 years.
"In two years time, we should get around Rs 1,000 crore from asset monetisation which include Rs 750 crore from optic fibre and Rs 50 crore from tower business," MTNL CMD Narendra Kumar Yadav said here.
The CMD was interacting with media on the occasion of MTNL completing 30 years of service.
Yadav said MTNL witnessed revenue losses in the last five years primarily because of landline business but now the losses from landline can be compensated through broadband.
On a question regarding merger of BSNL and MTNL, Yadav said efforts are going on but the first part is that Department of Telecom (DoT) is creating synergy between the two public sector firms.
"There is more emphasis on synergy than on merger. Merger will take place but there is time. It is not a straight option," he said.
Asked about the timeline of the merger, Yadav said, "My understanding is 3-4 years.
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Yadav said MTNL is now reorienting its strategies from "customer satisfaction" to a "customer driven" company by re-engineering its delivery processes and emphasising change in its work culture.
MTNL had been a profit-making company till 2008-09 and has contributed Rs 43,023 crore to government in form of tax/fee/dividend till 2014-15.
MTNL's revenue from enterprise business was Rs 313.57 crore till January 2016, as against target of Rs 300 crore.
Broadband revenue for the third quarter has increased by 2.06 per cent as compared to same quarter of previous year. Yadab said the trends reflect that MTNL is now on the path of revival.
MTNL also plans to provide 1 lakh high speed broadband connection on optical fiber and install 100 Wi-Fi hotspots.
MTNL is also in talks with BSNL to act as a managed service partner for its mobile services. As MTNL has huge idle network capacity and spectrum, it is also exploring the servicing tie up through mobile virtual network operators, spectrum sharing and intra circle roaming.
