What if BSNL had Gone Ahead with Foreign Vendors for 4G

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been trying to roll out 4G for many years now. Earlier, it was anticipated that 2022 would finally be the year when BSNL would be able to launch its 4G networks. With just four days more left in the year, that is not going to happen after all. However, BSNL is strongly anticipated to launch 4G in early 2023. The words of telecom minister Ashwini Viashnaw suggest that the state-run telco would launch not only 4G but also 5G in the second half of the coming year.

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To recall, BSNL had proposed a hybrid deployment model where some sites would be reserved for Indian companies and some sites would be reserved for foreign vendors. This would have enabled the telco to start rolling out 4G faster for the consumers. But that didn’t happen, as the government just wanted the Indian companies to be a part of BSNL’s 4G. However, it is worth thinking about what would have happened if the BSNL’s proposal to go with a hybrid deployment model had received a go from the government.

Low Cost and Fast Rollout of 4G

BSNL would have been able to roll out 4G faster and at a lower cost if the state-run telco had received the nod to go ahead with the foreign vendors. Due to security purposes and emphasis on the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, the government decided that to roll out 4G, BSNL would have to go ahead with the technology provided by local companies. Because there weren’t any companies with proven technologies, the government invited Indian companies to be a part of the proof of concept (PoC) process and conduct 4G trials with BSNL.