State-run telecom company BSNL is set to complete its rollout of indigenously developed 4G technology through 100,000 base stations by May 2025. The company plans to transition to a 5G network by June 2025, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Monday. While speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, Scindia said that India followed the world in 4G, marched with the world in 5G, and will lead the world in 6G technology, according to a PTI report.
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India’s Rapid 5G Deployment
Scindia highlighted that BSNL is using technology developed by a consortium of C-DOT and TCS, emphasising the government's commitment to self-reliance in telecom infrastructure.
"We now have a core and a radio access network that are fully functional. We have a plan for 100,000 sites by April-May of next year. We've rolled out 38,300 sites as of yesterday. We are going to roll out our own 4G network, which will switch to 5G by June 2025. We will be the sixth country in the world to achieve that," the report cited Scindia as saying.
India has achieved the fastest 5G rollout globally, installing 450,000 towers within 22 months and providing coverage for 80 percent of the population.
Scindia noted that there has been a complete transformation in the Indian telecom sector, with the number of broadband connections rising multifold to 940 million from around 60 million 10 years ago.
Significant Drop in Telecom Costs
"The cost of a voice call was 50 paise 10 years ago, it's today, three paise. There has been a 96 per cent drop in the cost of voice. If you look at the cost of one GB of data, it was Rs 289 rupees 10 years ago, which is roughly, what three and a half dollars, roughly it's today, 12 cents. Therefore, you've seen exponential penetration, exponential adoption," the report quoted the minister as saying.
"He also mentioned that the Prime Minister always says, 'Don't build towers, but build quality of service; become a product nation and do not think of telecom as an end product, but rather as a means to provide service,'" the report said.
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Strengthening India-US Relations
Scindia also underscored the importance of India-US relations, pointing to recent agreements, as both countries are working on multiple fronts to ensure that the relationship between the two nations goes beyond the technological curve.
"The Prime Minister's visit to the US has been a landmark visit. The first time we have come to an agreement where we are going to put a fab (chip plant) in place in India, which will supply chips to defence in the US. It's going to have huge ramifications for India as well as the US," Scindia said, according to the report.
