State-run Indian telecom operator, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will start rolling out 5G in a few months. The company is currently engaged in the roll out of 4G sites. The goal is to reach 1 lakh sites by the end of June 2025. So far, BSNL has commissioned more than 75,000 sites, while more than 80,000 sites have been deployed. By the end of June 2025, all one lakh sites are expected to be active.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, union telecom minister of India, said, "We aim to have all 100,000 sites operational by May-June 2025. Following this, we will transition from 4G to 5G, likely starting in June."
Read More - Is BSNL Rs 599 Plan the Best 84 Days Plan in India?
BSNL's 4G Likely to Continue Expanding
BSNL will likely continue to expand the 4G networks even after the deployment of 1 lakh sites. The state-run telco is expeted to extend the order to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for help with 4G expansion. While 1 lakh 4G sites are a decent milestone, they are not nearly enough to serve the length and breadth of India.
Read More - BSNL Awards Polycab Services Rs 3003 Crore Project under BharatNet
As for 5G, BSNL is already looking to test 5G SA (standalone) in Delhi to start with. At the same time, the company has the option to upgrade the existing 4G sites to 5G with the help of TCS. Tata Group has already confirmed that the existing 4G sites can be upgraded to 5G NSA (non-standalone) with just a simple software push.
BSNL is the only telecom operator in India who is deploying indigenous 4G. The other telcos took help of the foreign companies to offer 4G to users. The goverment made it mandatory for BSNL to use homegrown technology for the 4G rollout because of a security standpoint and also from a self-reliance perspective.
