Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has successfully tested indigenous 5G RAN (radio access network) and core in the 3.6 GHz and 700 MHz spectrum bands. The state-run telecom operator is expected to deploy 5G in early 2025.
Jyotiraditya M Scindia, union telecom minister of India, said, "We have conducted successful trials of Indigenous 5G RAN and Core in both 3.6 GHz and 700 MHz bands and India will soon deploy indigenous 5G services."
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The 4G sites that BSNL is deploying currently will be upgraded to 5G in 2025. The minister said the target is to reach 1 lakh sites by mid-2025. BSNL will be the first operator in the country that will deploy indigenous 4G and 5G. So far, the state-run telco has deployed 39,000 4G sites. The remaining will be done by either the end of the current financial year or by the end of the first quarter of the next financial year.
Apart from Reliance Jio, BSNL is the only telecom operator in the country which has access to the premium 700 MHz band. It is a band that is great for providing extensive coverage. However, given its steep pricing, Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) have refrained from investing in the band, especially when it would not have converted into any additional value for Bharti Airtel.
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BSNL's 4G sites are currently deployed in both rural and urban India. A tariff hike from the private telcos helped BSNL add new customers in July 2024, as per the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) report. To keep the momentum of adding new users, BSNL will have to roll out 4G in new areas as soon as possible. The company's CMD Robert J Ravi has already confirmed that they are not looking to raise the tariffs of mobile plans any time soon. This will help BSNL add new users in the short-term.
