The government is poised to allocate an additional Rs 6,000 crore to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for acquiring the remaining 4G network equipment needed for 100,000 sites. Earlier, on May 19, 2023, an Advance Purchase Order (APO) worth Rs 19,000 crore was issued for 10,000 4G sites, based on an indigenously designed stack. Of this, 80% of the sites were awarded to a TCS-led consortium, including C-DoT and Tejas Networks, while 20% were reserved for ITI Limited.
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However, the consortium’s purchase order totaled Rs 13,000 crore, leaving BSNL’s 4G coverage limited to 22,000 base stations. Once the remaining Rs 6,000 crore order is finalized, full deployment of 100,000 4G sites is expected, with completion targeted for mid-2025.
