An Indian telecom services officer, Rakesh Kapur, executive director, core network with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) brings to the table more than 36 years of industry experience. Over the years, he has held senior positions in BSNL including chief general manager, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand telecom circles, and director-in-charge, Electronics Research and Development Centre. Currently, Kapur is responsible for leading functions such as engineering, planning, procurement, construction and operations for BSNL across the country. He also oversees the maintenance of BSNL’s telecom network and assets such as optic fibre, dense wavelength division multiplexing and optical transport network, satellite, radio and packet IP network infrastructure.

Kapur expresses his disappointment over the lack of effort and investment in R&D. “The country has neglected satellite technology, which holds great potential for extending telecom services to inaccessible areas,” he says. According to him, there is scope for expanding telecom infrastructure further. “The Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund is undertaking telecom projects to expand the reach of services to regions that still do not have access to essential communication services. However, the USO Fund provides only marginal funding, which is inadequate for expanding the telecom network across the country.”

Kapur points out that owing to the lack of commercial viability, private operators are reluctant to extend telecom services to remote regions. There is a need to incentivise them to play a key role in expanding the country’s telecom network.

Working with BSNL in varied and challenging terrain has provided Kapur a huge learning experience. The experience of delivering telecom services in remote villages and inaccessible areas in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, in particular, was very fulfilling. “During natural disasters such as the recent floods in the Uttarakhand region, it is humbling to be able to contribute to the relief work by restoring communication links, thereby connecting people who have been stranded,” says Kapur.

According to him, one needs to be an honest and hard-working leader to rally one’s team to achieve a common goal. In addition to empowering people, Kapur is passionate about outdoor sports, particularly golf. He also unwinds by spending time with his family.