BSNL has already installed over 62,000 4G towers across India
Indian state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is nearing its milestone of deploying 100,000 4G towers across the country, according to local press reports.
The operator has relied on domestically developed technology for this massive rollout. According to Jyotiraditya Scindia, India’s telecom minister, BSNL plans to shift its focus to 5G deployment once the 100,000 4G towers are in place, a goal expected to be achieved by April-May 2025.
To date, BSNL has already installed over 62,000 4G towers. The company’s 5G deployment will only require an upgrade of the 4G technology it is currently implementing, according to the report.
Scindia highlighted the government’s decision to prioritize Indian technology over foreign solutions for BSNL’s 4G rollout. He noted that this approach was challenging but strategic, making India one of only five countries globally to develop its own 4G technology stack.
Scindia also emphasized the importance of establishing a telecom manufacturing hub in India following the rollout of 5G. The government has introduced a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to support this initiative.
A consortium led by Indian conglomerate Tata Group received an order from BSNL in May 2023 to install 4G sites nationwide, with Tejas Networks and government-backed C-DoT providing the necessary equipment and technology.
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 previous press reports, while the government recently set a new target of 25% of the market by end-2025.
Over the last several years, BSNL has lost market share to rival telcos Reliance Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel due to the lack of extended 4G coverage across the country. BSNL lost 18 million customers in the last fiscal year, bringing its customer base to 88.06 million. The market share of BSNL has also decreased to 7.46% as of April 2024.
The government of India previously announced it will set up a project management unit (PMU) for BSNL, through which the carrier will be monitored on a daily basis with regard to its ongoing 4G deployment.
The PMU will be set along with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tejas Networks and the government’s Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), with which BSNL is currently deploying its 4G network using indigenous technologies.
BSNL previously noted it started the testing of its 5G indigenous technology at three places in India’s capital New Delhi: Nehru Place, Chanakyapuri and Minto Road.
