The government-owned telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is set to introduce a platform that supports 4G and 5G and is compatible with over-the-air (OTA) and Universal SIM (USIM).

The source said the option of handing over debt-laden MTNL's operations to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) through an agreement is being looked into.  The source said that given MTNL's high debt, a merger with BSNL was not a favourable option.

MP Arvind Sawant from Mumbai South, accused the central government of hindering the launch of 4G/5G services by state-run telecom companies MTNL and BSNL, resulting in significant customer loss.