India witnessed the deployment of 6,696 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) across various states and union territories (UTs) during April 2024. BTS are the equipment that facilitate wireless communication between user equipment and a network. The latest data reported by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) reveals significant progress in expanding the reach of 5G technology, with Bihar, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh leading the deployment efforts.
Also Read: Over 9,000 5G BTS Deployed in India During March 2024
Top States with 5G Deployments
Bihar, a state in eastern India, recorded an addition of 864 BTS during the said duration. Similarly, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat witnessed significant growth in 5G infrastructure expansion, with BTS additions of 709, 699, and 611 respectively. Among other notable contributors to the 5G infrastructure expansion, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam reported increase with BTS additions of 424, 397, and 332 respectively.
5G BTS Deployed in April 2024
Sl. No | State/UT | BTS as on | ||
| 31 Mar 2024 | 30 Apr 2024 | BTS Additions in Apr 2024 | ||
| 1 | Bihar | 21647 | 22511 | 864 |
| 2 | Karnataka | 28675 | 29384 | 709 |
| 3 | Uttar Pradesh | 48990 | 49689 | 699 |
| 4 | Gujarat | 29232 | 29843 | 611 |
| 5 | West Bengal | 28192 | 28616 | 424 |
| 6 | Madhya Pradesh | 18714 | 19111 | 397 |
| 7 | Assam | 8229 | 8561 | 332 |
| 8 | Rajasthan | 25496 | 25813 | 317 |
| 9 | Haryana | 15604 | 15878 | 274 |
| 10 | Tamil Nadu | 33841 | 34113 | 272 |
| 10 | Maharashtra | 45283 | 45548 | 265 |
| 12 | Jharkhand | 9271 | 9474 | 203 |
| 13 | Odisha | 11860 | 12038 | 178 |
| 14 | Punjab | 15159 | 15336 | 177 |
| 15 | Andhra Pradesh | 18028 | 18193 | 165 |
| 16 | Telangana | 16816 | 16957 | 141 |
| 17 | Chhattisgarh | 6332 | 6458 | 126 |
| 18 | Jammu & Kashmir (UT) | 6745 | 6827 | 82 |
| 19 | Himachal Pradesh | 3972 | 4043 | 71 |
| 20 | Delhi | 11350 | 11417 | 67 |
| 21 | Manipur | 909 | 968 | 59 |
| 22 | Kerala | 19152 | 19198 | 46 |
| 23 | Tripura | 1171 | 1215 | 44 |
| 24 | Meghalaya | 662 | 696 | 34 |
| 25 | Puducherry (UT) | 535 | 563 | 28 |
| 26 | Nagaland | 695 | 722 | 27 |
| 27 | Mizoram | 423 | 445 | 22 |
| 28 | Arunachal Pradesh | 552 | 573 | 21 |
| 29 | Uttarakhand | 5444 | 5464 | 20 |
| 30 | UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 378 | 384 | 6 |
| 31 | Sikkim | 304 | 309 | 5 |
| 32 | Goa | 975 | 979 | 4 |
| 33 | Laddakh | 226 | 230 | 4 |
| 34 | Chandigarh (UT) | 741 | 743 | 2 |
| 35 | Andaman & Nicobar | 115 | 115 | 0 |
| Lakshadweep (UT) | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 435,720 | 442,416 | 6,696 | ||
Also Read: Airtel 5G Plus Enables High-Speed Connectivity in Lakshadweep for Tourists
Regions with Less 5G Deployments
While having only two BTS deployments in Lakshadweep is understandable given its small size and population, it's worth noting that there were no additional deployments in April 2024. Similarly, Andaman and Nicobar Islands had only 115 BTS deployments as of April 30, with no additions during April. With only a minor increase of 2 BTS deployments in April, Chandigarh is also among the regions with slower growth in 5G deployments.
The surge in 5G infrastructure deployment across various states and UTs in India during April 2024 reflects a significant deployment of high-speed and high-capacity networks across the country.
Also Read: Vodafone Idea to Focus on 4G Expansion, 5G Rollout: CEO
5G in India
The total number of 5G BTS in India surged from 435,720 to 442,416 during April 2024. In India, only private telcos Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are offering commercial 5G services with no monetary benefits. 5G is offered at 4G pricing and currently Unlimited 5G is offered by both the telcos.
BSNL is currently deploying its 4G, and we are unsure when its 4G service will be available on a PAN India basis. Vodafone Idea (Vi), another private telco which is losing wireless subscribers month on month just like BSNL/MTNL, in a recent email to customers signed by CEO has stated that it will focus on 4G expansion and 5G rollout.
