BSNL said it expected a 20% growth in revenue following the deployment of 4G services at a national level
The government of India has earmarked a total of INR890 billion ($10.8 billion) for the allotment of spectrum for state-run operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to launch nationwide 4G and 5G services, The Economic Times reported.
Through this move, the state-owned telco will obtain spectrum in the 700 MHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz bands.
A government statement said that with this spectrum allotment, BSNL will be able to provide pan-India 4G and 5G service, provide 4G coverage in rural regions under various connectivity projects, provide fixed wireless access (FWA) service and offer services or spectrum for private networks.
According to the report, the state operator said it expected a 20% growth in revenue following the deployment of 4G services at a national level.
Last month, BSNL had ordered $1.83 billion worth of infrastructure equipment and software from compatriot IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
The provision of this telecom gear will pave the way for BSNL to be in a position to fully launch its 4G network across India. Also in May, a group of ministers approved the proof-of-concept by the TCS consortium for BSNL using an indigenous technology stack, and gave the company the approval to issue the purchase order.
According to previous reports, the Indian government had said that only Indian telecoms vendors will be allowed to supply equipment for state-run telcos BSNL and MTNL’s 4G and 5G projects, as part of the country’s efforts to reduce dependence on international providers.
According to recent reports, BSNL aims to initially provide 4G services in high-revenue telecom circles in India. Currently, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Punjab are among the high-revenue-earning circles for the state-owned carrier.
As part of the pilot for 4G, BSNL has deployed 200 sites in three districts of Punjab – Ferozepur, Pathankot and Amritsar. BSNL will provide 4G services via the 2.1 GHz spectrum band.
According to previous reports, BSNL expects to cover all telecom circles in India with its 4G services by the end of its upcoming financial year, which ends in March 2024.
In January, the country’s Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, had said that BSNL could launch 5G technology in March 2024. Vaishnaw also clarified that initially, BSNL’s 5G network will be based on the NonStandalone (NSA) architecture.
BSNL is likely to launch 5G services in 600 MHz, 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz bands, according to previous reports. These spectrum bands have been reserved by the Department of Telecommunication and after the 4G launch, all sites will be upgraded to 5G.
Currently, both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm offer 5G networks in all major cities across the country.
