India is making significant strides in its 5G rollout, positioning itself as a leading player in the global race for advanced telecommunications. The country's ambitious deployment of 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) has been hailed as a massive feat, considering the challenging topography and high population density.
Within the past nine years, the number of BTS sites has increased fourfold to reach an impressive 25 lakh. Currently, the 4G network coverage reaches 99 percent of the country, according to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
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5G Deployments in India
The pace of 5G deployments in India has been nothing short of remarkable. Over the course of just nine months, more than 2.7 lakh 5G towers have been installed at an astonishing rate of nearly one tower per minute. This rapid rollout has catapulted India into the top three 5G ecosystems globally. The deployment of 5G infrastructure is occurring at a staggering rate, with cities witnessing new installations almost every day.
To keep track of the number of 5G BTS deployed across states and Union Territories, the DoT regularly releases monthly data. The latest figures highlight the states leading the way in 5G deployment as of July 02, 2023.
Progress from January to July
| BTS as of | ||||
| Sl. No | State/UT | Jan 5, 2023 | July 02, 2023 | BTS Additions from Jan-Jul |
| 1 | Maharashtra | 9682 | 29160 | 19478 |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | 3770 | 27122 | 23352 |
| 3 | Tamilnadu | 5411 | 25138 | 19727 |
| 4 | Karnataka | 3929 | 19332 | 15403 |
| 5 | Gujarat | 5179 | 18566 | 13387 |
| 6 | West Bengal | 5198 | 16468 | 11270 |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 2223 | 13598 | 11375 |
| 8 | Kerala | 1001 | 13405 | 12404 |
| 9 | Telangana | 3691 | 13300 | 9609 |
| 10 | Andhra Pradesh | 522 | 11890 | 11368 |
| 11 | Haryana | 2374 | 11423 | 9049 |
| 12 | Delhi | 5718 | 10491 | 4773 |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | 932 | 10276 | 9344 |
| 14 | Bihar | 1121 | 9847 | 8726 |
| 15 | Punjab | 570 | 8803 | 8233 |
| 16 | Odisha | 624 | 7443 | 6819 |
| 17 | Jharkhand | 391 | 5717 | 5326 |
| 18 | Assam | 5235 | 5235 | |
| 19 | Chattisgarh | 158 | 4482 | 4324 |
| 20 | Jammu and Kashmir (UT) | 149 | 3725 | 3576 |
| 21 | Uttarakhand | 111 | 3185 | 3074 |
| 22 | Himachal Pradesh | 61 | 1742 | 1681 |
| 23 | Goa | 3 | 751 | 748 |
| 24 | Tripura | 700 | 700 | |
| 25 | Manipur | 57 | 619 | 562 |
| 26 | Chandigarh (UT) | 290 | 610 | 320 |
| 27 | Nagaland | 431 | 431 | |
| 28 | Puducherry (UT) | 10 | 369 | 359 |
| 29 | Meghalaya | 8 | 326 | 318 |
| 30 | Arunachal Pradesh | 407 | 313 | -94 |
| 31 | Mizoram | 257 | 257 | |
| 32 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli (UT) | 128 | 128 | |
| 33 | Daman (UT) | 107 | 107 | |
| 34 | Sikkim | 94 | 94 | |
| 35 | Andaman & Nicobar | 89 | 89 | |
| 36 | Laddakh | 88 | 88 | |
| 37 | Diu (UT) | 26 | 26 | |
| Total | 53590 | 275256 | 221666 | |
Top States in 5G BTS Deployments
According to the DoT data, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Gujarat have emerged as the top five states with the highest number of 5G BTS deployed. However, a peculiar trend has been observed in Arunachal Pradesh, where the number of 5G BTS deployed decreased from 407 in January to 313 in July 2023.
Furthermore, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat have shown the most significant growth in 5G BTS deployments from January to July 2023.
The rapid BTS deployments across states by Airtel and Jio signify India's commitment to embracing advanced technologies and enabling a digitally connected future for its citizens.
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BTS
BTS stands for Base Transceiver Station. It is a crucial component of a cellular network infrastructure used for wireless communication. The BTS is responsible for transmitting and receiving radio signals to and from mobile devices within its coverage area. It houses the equipment necessary for wireless communication, including antennas, transceivers, amplifiers, and signal processing units.
