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Highlights
- BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), a state-run telecom operator, has been offering 5G FWA (fixed-wireless access) services to Indians.
- But the company has not yet marketed it heavily.
- The interesting thing is, BSNL uses a different technology stack for offering this service compared to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
Andrew Bonwick
Vice President of Product Development at Relm Insurance
Madhav Sheth
CEO of Ai+ Smartphone
Stephen Rose
CEO Render Networks
BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), a state-run telecom operator, has been offering 5G FWA (fixed-wireless access) services to Indians. But the company has not yet marketed it heavily. The interesting thing is, BSNL uses a different technology stack for offering this service compared to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. BSNL calls it BSNL Q-5G, and its plans start at Rs 999 per month.
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Key Highlights
- Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is offering 5G FWA services under the branding BSNL Q-5G.
- BSNL’s 5G FWA service is SIM-less, unlike Reliance Jio AirFiber and Bharti Airtel Xstream AirFiber which require physical 5G SIM cards.
- The service uses direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity with automatic hardware authentication and cloud provisioning.
- Introductory pricing starts at Rs 999 for 100 Mbps and Rs 1499 for 300 Mbps plans.
- BSNL plans to expand the pilot service across cities including Bengaluru, Pune, Chandigarh, Gwalior, Pondicherry, and Visakhapatnam.
BSNL said that this service has launched in select cities and circles of India. Users opting for this service will get high-speed data services, but without voice or roaming services.
BSNL 5G FWA Service for Users: How it Works without a SIM
BSNL 5G FWA is the first SIM less FWA service in the country. Jio and Airtel rely on traditional cellular authentication. With Jio AirFiber and Airtel Xstream AirFiber, users get a CPE (customer premises equipment) which requires a physical 5G SIM card to function. However, no such requirement is there for the BSNL 5G FWA customers.
BSNL uses a tech stack which enables direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity. The hardware of BSNL’s tech stack automatically authenticates itself with the network right out of the box using device-level identification and cloud provisioning. This eliminates the need to manufacture, ship, insert, or activate a physical SIM card inside the router.
