India Adds Over 6,000 New 5G BTS in July 2025

Recent Operator Trends

Vodafone Idea: Vodafone Idea most recently launched its 5G services in Meerut starting August 1, 2025. “This expansion is part of Vi’s ongoing 5G rollout across many cities, in its 17 priority circles where it has acquired 5G spectrum,” the telco announced on July 31, 2025. The telco partnered with Nokia to deploy AI-powered Self-Organising Networks (SON) to automatically optimise network performance.

Reliance Jio: Reliance Jio recently said it has deployed 10 network slices on its indigenous 5G standalone (SA) core network to support a range of use cases. Jio’s network slicing technology is live nationwide, powering real-world applications purpose-built for a range of use cases, including enterprise applications, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud gaming, Jio’s fixed wireless access (FWA) service JioAirFiber, and mission-critical services.

Bharti Airtel: Airtel has partnered with Perplexity to offer a complimentary 12-month subscription to Perplexity Pro for all its customers across mobile, broadband, and DTH services. With this, over 360 million Airtel customers can experience AI capability services, marking Perplexity’s first collaboration with an Indian telecom operator.

Also Read: 70 Percent of Eligible Vodafone Idea Users Experience Vi 5G in Live Cities

BSNL: State-run telecom firm BSNL has signed a pact with public sector firm Numaligarh Refinery Limited for the deployment of a 5G private network in the refinery sector, BSNL said in a post on X on August 2, 2025.

“A significant milestone in India’s digital journey! BSNL and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) have partnered to pioneer Industry 4.0 adoption with advanced technologies like 5G CNPN, Digital Twins, AR/VR, IoT, and Big Data. This collaboration marks a transformative step toward industrial innovation, operational excellence, and a self-reliant digital India,” the statement read.

Under this MoU, BSNL and NRL will collaborate to deploy India’s first 5G CNPN (Captive Non-Public Network) within the refinery sector. BSNL has recently launched its 5G services, branded as Q 5G, and is now offering the ‘Azadi Ka Plan’ for new and MNP users to experience its 4G network.

Also Read: BSNL Launches Azadi Ka Plan at Rs 1 to Get True Digital Freedom

The plan, priced at Rs 1, offers users unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS per day, and 2GB of data per day (40 Kbps after FUP)—all with a validity of 30 days—along with a free SIM. The offer is valid from August 1 to August 31, 2025.