5G services have been rolled out across all States and Union Territories (UTs) in India and are currently available in 773 out of 776 districts, including Lakshadweep, the Indian government (Ministry of Communications) informed Parliament on Wednesday.
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5G BTS Deployment in India
As of February 28, 4.69 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed by the telecom service providers (TSPs) across the country, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, stated in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
TSPs Exceed Rollout Obligations
Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have expanded the 5G services across the country and have gone beyond the minimum rollout obligations, as prescribed in the Notice Inviting Application (NIA) for spectrum auction. Expansion of mobile services beyond these obligations depends on the techno-commercial consideration of the TSPs, the minster added.
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Government Initiatives for 5G Rollout
The government said it has undertaken several initiatives to facilitate the rollout of 5G services in the country. These include the auction of spectrum for 5G mobile services; 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 the auction of 2022 and thereafter.
Other initiatives include simplification of procedure for SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations) clearance; launch of PM GatiShakti Sanchar portal and RoW (Right of Way) Rules to streamline RoW permissions and clearance of installation of telecom infrastructure and time-bound permission for use of street furniture for installation of small cells and telecommunication line.
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Mobile Subscribers and Tele Density
With approximately 1,189.92 million subscribers as of December 2024, urban tele-density has reached 131.50 percent, while rural areas stand at 58.22 percent. During the same period, the number of wireless subscribers in India was 1,150.66 million.
