BSNL and MTNL will receive 5G spectrum from the government administratively, meaning the telcos will not be required to participate in the auction. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed this news to the Parliament. While there's no update on when BSNL is planning to launch 4G services in the country, the government is talking about 5G services already. The Union Minister also said the allocation of 5G spectrum would be done on the same principle used for the allocation of 4G spectrum. In separate news, the Minister of State for Communications Sanjay Dhotre said to Lok Sabha that BSNL is planning to install one lakh 4G nodes in the coming months.
BSNL 5G: When the Next Generation 5G Services Will Launch?
In a written letter to Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government approved the plan to allot the spectrum required for rolling out 5G and future services administratively. Having said that, we are still months away from the launch of 5G services in India. The Spectrum Auction 2021 completed earlier this month and the government is expected to auction 5G airwaves later this year.
We are not sure how BSNL will approach the 5G rollout in India The government-owned PSU is widely expected to roll out 4G services by the end of this year, after which it will upgrade to 5G after receiving the required spectrum. In addition, BSNL would be last in the line to receive 5G spectrum from the government as private telcos will participate in the auction for acquiring spectrum in 5G bands.
Furthermore, the minister also confirmed the allocation of Rs 24,084 crore for acquiring 4G airwaves in 2021-22. The funds will be used by the telco to roll out 4G services this year. Right now, BSNL is in the process of finalising the 4G tender.
BSNL to Manage Mobile Services of MTNL from April 1
The government recently scrapped the merger between BSNL and MTNL. However, the Union Minister today informed Rajya Sabha that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) would manage the mobile services of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) from April 1. For the unaware, MTNL has operations in two circles- Mumbai and Delhi, whereas BSNL is managing mobile services in 20 circles.
