BSNL to Deploy Additional 1 Lakh 4G Towers; Public Invited to Suggest BSNL 5G Service Name: Report

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is set to install an additional one lakh (100,000) 4G towers across the country following the successful deployment of its first one lakh towers this month, Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandrasekhar told The New Indian Express.

• Make Telecom Talk My Trusted Source
• 
• 

Also Read: DoT Urges States to Prefer BSNL, MTNL for Telecom Services, Citing Data Security

Cabinet Approval to Be Sought

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will soon seek Cabinet approval for the next phase of BSNL’s 4G rollout. “After successfully installing 100,000 towers with optimal 4G equipment, we will approach the Cabinet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve another 100,000 towers. We also plan to increase BSNL’s cash flow, which will enable us to install more 4G and 5G equipment and to monetize BSNL’s assets,” Pemmasani was quoted as saying.

BSNL has opted for indigenous 4G technology, in contrast to private players such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, which rely on foreign suppliers like Nokia, Ericsson, or Samsung. In May 2023, BSNL awarded a contract to a consortium led by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), including Tejas Networks, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), and ITI Ltd. The agreement covers the supply of 4G equipment for 100,000 towers and includes network gear valued at Rs 13,000 crore and a 10-year annual maintenance contract.

Also Read: Tejas Networks Completes Equipment Supply for BSNL 4G/5G Rollout, Eyes New Contracts

Performance Issues Resolved

Acknowledging early technical issues with the domestically developed equipment, the minister said performance has since improved significantly. “There were some problems with the equipment in the beginning. But now, it’s functioning well. We expect it to operate near perfection by the end of July or August next year.”