BSNL plans to launch commercial 4G services nationwide during 2024
State-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has already activated 3,500 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) across the country, local press reported, citing the company’s chairman and CEO Pravin Kumar Purwar.
These 4G sites were deployed in a number of states including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh West. BSNL said it aims to deploy additional sites in other states including Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the short term.
Purwar highlighted that these 3,500 sites offer 4G services on both a commercial and trial basis, adding that BSNL aims to launch full commercial 4G services nationwide soon.
“Our 4G trial services are in full swing. We have already activated 3,500 4G services in the country, and we plan to launch even more soon,” Purwar was quoted as saying.
The executive noted that commercial services could be launched once the telco’s 4G network reached 20,000 active base stations at a national level. BSNL previously said it expects to provide 4G services nationwide through the deployment of 100,000 base stations.
IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and government-owned ITI had previosuly secured orders from BSNL for the deployment of the latter’s 4G network infrastructure. The Indian authorities 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.
BSNL is targeting a 20% market share of the country’s overall mobile market by the end of 2024 by accelerating the rollout of its 4G network, according to recent press reports.
According to the latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), BSNL had a market share of 8.08% at the end of October 2023. In comparison, rival operators Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel had a market share of 39.3% and 32.85%, respectively. Vodafone Idea’s market share reached 19.6% as of the end of October 2023.
BSNL’s workers union had recently urged the government to use rival operator Vodafone Idea’s network to initially offer 4G service in the country.
In a recent letter to telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Employee Union (BSNLEU) General Secretary P. Abhimanyu said that BSNL’s customers are porting out “massively” because the operator is not currently offering 4G services.
The union said that the full supply of 4G gear for BSNL’s network by TCS could still take one year since part of the equipment have not even completed field trials
The government of India is Vodafone Idea Limited’s largest shareholder, with a 33.1% stake. U.K.’s Vodafone and India’s Aditya Birla Group jointly own 50.4% of Vodafone Idea.
According to the reports, the potential use of Vodafone Idea’s 4G network will only be a temporary measure until BSNL’s 4G network is commercially available.
