India’s 5G rollout has reached a major milestone, with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) deploying next-generation mobile services across all States and Union Territories (UTs). 5G services are available in 99.9 percent of districts, supported by the installation of lakhs of 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) across the country.
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Over 5 Lakh 5G BTSs Installed Nationwide
"5G networks have been rolled out by Indian Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) in all States/UTs across the country and presently 5G services are available in 99.9 percent of districts in the country. As on 31st Oct 2025, 5.08 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have already been installed in the country and these BTSs also support provision of the faster internet for applications like precision agriculture, remote education and telemedicine etc," the Lok Sabha was informed by the Union Minister of State for Communications on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar outlined key government initiatives that have accelerated the widespread adoption of 5G technology.
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Government Reforms Fuel Rapid 5G Expansion
These include the 2022 auction of 5G spectrum, financial reforms to rationalise Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), bank guarantees (BGs) and interest rates, and the removal of spectrum usage charges for spectrum acquired in and after the 2022 auction.
Procedural reforms have also played a key role, with the simplification of SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations) clearance processes and the launch of the GatiShakti Sanchar portal and updated Right of Way (RoW) Rules to streamline permissions for telecom infrastructure. Additionally, the government has introduced time-bound approval for using street furniture to install small cells and telecom lines.
100 New 5G Labs to Build a 6G-Ready Ecosystem
To support innovation and build a future-ready ecosystem, 100 dedicated 5G labs have been set up in academic institutions across the country. These centres aim to drive socioeconomic use-case development and strengthen India’s capacity for the eventual transition to 6G technologies.
"Established 100 5G labs at academic institutions across India for development of various socioeconomic 5G use cases and capacity building for building a 6G ready academic and start- up ecosystem in the country," Pemmasani said.
