Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched 35,000 4G sites across India, with plans to deploy 100,000 sites by mid-2025. India’s Union Telecom Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, confirmed that BSNL has already rolled out 35,000 4G sites and aims to reach its 1 lakh target by June 2025.
"4G सेवा के लिए #BSNL द्वारा 35,000 टावर पहले ही लगाए जा चुके हैं और अगले साल जून तक एक लाख टावर और लगा दिए जाएंगे। इससे सेवाएं बेहतर होंगी और यूजर्स को नई सेवाएं भी मिलेंगी।"
— BSNL India (@BSNLCorporate) September 21, 2024
-माननीय केंद्रीय मंत्री श्री ज्योतिरादित्य सिंधिया जी (@JM_Scindia) pic.twitter.com/V5OgWkL8Fj
Additionally, BSNL launched 4G services at 14,500 feet in Phobrang, Ladakh. While Airtel was the first operator to introduce 4G in the region.
BSNL is focusing on expanding both rural and urban coverage. In the last 100 days, more than 7,000 mobile towers have been deployed, including in villages, as part of the government’s 4G saturation project to ensure high-speed internet for all. Alongside BSNL, private operators like Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are also expanding in rural India, with Vodafone Idea set to follow with its network upgrades in the next quarter. The rollout of 100,000 4G towers is expected to significantly improve mobile services and potentially introduce new offerings.
To support its 4G expansion, BSNL is offering free 4G SIM upgrades for existing users, who can visit their nearest BSNL office to receive a free 4G SIM along with 4GB of bonus data upon activation. New users are also eligible for a free 4G SIM. BSNL is actively working to roll out both 4G and 5G services.