Summary:
BSNL plans to seek Rs 75,000 crore in separate funding from the Finance Ministry to install approximately 3.5 lakh 4G towers, expand nationwide coverage and prepare for 5G services. The operator has already deployed one lakh 4G sites and ordered another 25,000 towers, following government revival packages worth Rs 3.29 lakh crore and additional capital support of Rs 6,982 crore in 2025. BSNL is also exploring infrastructure-sharing arrangements with Vodafone Idea and has already leased around 1,441 towers to the company as of April 2026.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s state-owned telecom operator, requires approximately 3.5 lakh 4G towers to extend its high-speed network coverage. The company plans to approach the Finance Ministry for around Rs 75,000 crore to support its network expansion. The proposed funding is intended to speed up the introduction of 5G services and enhance connectivity nationwide. According to an online report, this financial assistance would be separate from the regular Budget allocation and would help strengthen BSNL’s telecom infrastructure and improve service quality for its customers.
“BSNL needs at least 3.5 lakh 4G towers to improve its network. This will require substantial capital expenditure. The demand will be placed separately before the Finance Ministry and will not be part of the regular Budget allocation,” a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) official said, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
BSNL has already received significant financial assistance from the Indian government through revival packages worth Rs 3.29 lakh crore, approved in 2019, 2022 and 2023. In 2025, the government also sanctioned additional capital expenditure support of Rs 6,982 crore for the operator. BSNL has deployed one lakh 4G sites across the country and plans to install another 25,000 towers in the coming period, with orders for the additional infrastructure already placed.
Meanwhile, BSNL and Vodafone Idea have been discussing ways to expand their network infrastructure-sharing arrangements to improve coverage. According to data for the month ending April 2026, BSNL had leased approximately 1,441 towers to Vodafone Idea. The state-owned operator is also preparing to introduce 5G services in the near future. Its existing 4G infrastructure has already contributed to customer additions over the past several quarters.
