BSNL has been strengthening its network nationwide since private telecom operators -- Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vi -- hiked their tariff prices in July this year. The state-run telecom operator, BSNL, has also launched its various recharge plans which are comparatively cheaper than the private player's plans. Now, BSNL has successfully deployed more than 50,000 indigenous 4G sites nationwide in India's most remote regions, the Ministry of Communications announced. Over 41,000 sites out of the 50,000 installed until October 29 are now operational, it said.
The landmark move under the government's Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative is in collaboration with a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-led consortium, which was awarded a contract of Rs 24,500 crore to provide 4G equipment for 100,000 new telecom towers in May 2023.
Of these, nearly 36,747 sites were established under Phase IX.2 of the project and 5,000 sites under the 4G Saturation Project funded by the Digital Bharat Nidhi Fund erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). “These efforts are bolstering BSNL's goal to deploy over 1,00,000 4G sites, a testament to its swift pace of expansion,” the Ministry said.
Tejas Networks, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), and ITI are also part of the consortium led by TCS, which showcases the strength of India's homegrown technology in fulfilling the country's connectivity needs.
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“Designed, developed, and implemented entirely by Indian companies, BSNL's 4G network embodies the concept of "Poorn Swadeshi" (completely Indigenous) innovation, ushering in a new era for telecom in India,” the Ministry said.
Earlier this month, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that BSNL is expected to roll out its 4G network nationwide by June 2025 by deploying 1 lakh sites. He noted that the telecom operator will convert them to 5G within a month.
BSNL has also completed trials for its 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and core network across 3.6 GHz and 700 MHz frequency bands. According to the Ministry, BSNL has put on 15,000 air sites till July.
(With inputs from IANS)
