Indian state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is planning to launch its 4G service in December on a limited scale and then roll it out across the country by June 2024.
The telco’s rollout plans were recently announced by BSNL chairman and managing director P. K. Purwar at the India Mobile Congress.
Purwar also said that the company plans to upgrade its 4G service to 5G after June 2024. As of today, local carriers Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm are the sole operators in India offering 5G services.
“BSNL’s 4G service is ready for launch in Punjab in December. We have already done the hardening required for a network with 200 sites. We are in the process of installing 3,000 sites in Punjab,” Purwar said, adding that BSNL will gradually increase the number of sites to 6,000 and then to 9,000, 12,000 and 15,000 sites per month.
“Our target is to complete the 4G rollout by June 2024. After June, we will be moving to 5G services,” Purwar added.
IT company TCS and government-owned ITI have secured orders from BSNL for the deployment of the telco’s 4G network infrastructure. 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.
Read more: rcrwireless.com
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