India witnessed the deployment of 3,584 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) across various states and union territories (UTs) during May 2024, according to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). BTS are the equipment that facilitates wireless communication between user equipment and a network. According to the latest data revealed by the DoT, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and West Bengal witnessed the addition of the highest number of 5G BTS in May 2024.
Also Read: India Witnessed Deployment of Over 6,000 5G BTS During April 2024
India 5G BTS Additions
The addition of 3,584 5G BTS has increased the total number of BTS across the country from 442,416 in April 2024 to 446,000 in May 2024. In January 2024, India added 7,631 5G BTS, followed by 6,142 in February, 9,733 in March, 6,696 in April, and 3,584 in May. The most recent addition in May had the fewest deployments so far in 2024.
5G BTS Deployed in May 2024
Sl. No | State/UT | BTS as on | ||
| 30 Apr 2024 | 31 May 2024 | BTS Additions in May 2024 | ||
| 1 | Karnataka | 29384 | 29979 | 595 |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | 49689 | 50212 | 523 |
| 3 | Rajasthan | 25813 | 26118 | 305 |
| 4 | Punjab | 15336 | 15606 | 270 |
| 5 | West Bengal | 28616 | 28834 | 218 |
| 6 | Gujarat | 29843 | 30045 | 202 |
| 7 | Maharashtra | 45548 | 45739 | 191 |
| 8 | Haryana | 15878 | 16040 | 162 |
| 9 | Odisha | 12038 | 12175 | 137 |
| 10 | Telangana | 16957 | 17082 | 125 |
| 11 | Tamil Nadu | 34113 | 34233 | 120 |
| 12 | Delhi | 11417 | 11531 | 114 |
| 13 | Assam | 8561 | 8642 | 81 |
| 14 | Uttarakhand | 5464 | 5537 | 73 |
| 15 | Bihar | 22511 | 22582 | 71 |
| 16 | Kerala | 19198 | 19261 | 63 |
| 17 | Jharkhand | 9474 | 9529 | 55 |
| 18 | Andhra Pradesh | 18193 | 18239 | 46 |
| 19 | Manipur | 968 | 1013 | 45 |
| 20 | Madhya Pradesh | 19111 | 19155 | 44 |
| 21 | Himachal Pradesh | 4043 | 4074 | 31 |
| 22 | Jammu & Kashmir (UT) | 6827 | 6854 | 27 |
| 23 | Meghalaya | 696 | 714 | 18 |
| 24 | Mizoram | 445 | 455 | 10 |
| 25 | Tripura | 1215 | 1225 | 10 |
| 26 | UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 384 | 393 | 9 |
| 27 | Nagaland | 722 | 731 | 9 |
| 28 | Laddakh | 230 | 238 | 8 |
| 29 | Arunachal Pradesh | 573 | 580 | 7 |
| 30 | Puducherry (UT) | 563 | 569 | 6 |
| 31 | Chhattisgarh | 6458 | 6462 | 4 |
| 32 | Andaman & Nicobar | 115 | 117 | 2 |
| 33 | Chandigarh (UT) | 743 | 744 | 1 |
| 34 | Goa | 979 | 980 | 1 |
| 35 | Sikkim | 309 | 310 | 1 |
| Lakshadweep (UT) | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Grand Total | 442416 | 446000 | 3584 | |
Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh (UT), Goa, and Sikkim witnessed the fewest number of 5G BTS deployments during the said month, while Lakshadweep (UT) did not see any deployments. However, the 5G BTS numbers are expected to grow in the coming days once Vodafone Idea (Vi) starts rolling out its 5G network.
Also Read: Vodafone Idea Says Enlarging Its Footprints With 5G Rollout
Current 5G Service Providers in India
So far, only Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are officially offering commercial 5G services with no monetary benefits. 5G is offered at 4G pricing and currently, unlimited 5G is offered by both telcos. Vodafone Idea's CEO has written to customers in an email stating that the company will focus on 4G expansion and 5G rollout, TelecomTalk reported.
Also Read: BSNL Launches Indigenous 4G in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh
While it is uncertain when BSNL/MTNL 4G service will be available on a PAN India basis, in a recent development, BSNL has launched indigenous 4G services in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh. However, as per reports, BSNL's 4G deployments are upgradable to 5G. So, once 4G deployments are complete, BSNL users can expect the activation of 5G services with minimal delay.
