State-run PSU, BSNL today scored on a few front as it entered into agreement with Tata Teleservices (TTSL) for passive infrastructure sharing.

The 15 year agreement will include TTSL as well as TTML area of operations i.e. across all the 22 circles.

“This is a moment of pride for us, as we have become the first private telecom operator to enter into such a strategically important agreement with BSNL, one that will allow us to expand our telecom footprint across the country much more quickly,” Mr Madhav Joshi, President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Tata Teleservices Limited, said.

 “In the short space of just three months, we have already rolled out our GSM services in nine Circles—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh and Haryana,” Mr AG Rao, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Teleservices Limited, said. “This agreement has the potential to not just speed up our network expansion and rollout process, but would also have a substantial impact in terms of reduced costs,” he added.

BSNLs’ reach especially in the interiors of the country is unmatched. With operators shifting their focus to rural augment, this deal should come in handy for TTSL.

BSNL had earlier entered into similar agreement with Swan. But the deal was cancelled amidst allegations of favouritism.