According to official sources, state-owned BSNL is set to launch 4G services nationwide starting from August, utilizing entirely indigenous technology in alignment with the government’s “Atmanirbhar” policy. During the pilot phase, BSNL officials reported achieving peak speeds of 40-45 megabits per second on the 4G network, deployed across the premium spectrum band of 700 megahertz (MHz) as well as the 2,100 MHz band. The initial rollout of 4G services took place in Punjab, leveraging technology developed domestically by IT company TCS and a consortium led by state-run telecom research organization C-DoT, with approximately 800,000 subscribers onboarded.
A senior government official stated, “The 4G core developed by C-DoT is performing very well in the BSNL network in Punjab. It was installed in July last year. It takes 12 months to prove the success of such complex technology, but the C-DoT core has stabilized within 10 months. BSNL will launch Atmanirbhar 4G technology across the country in August.” The core network, integral to telecommunications infrastructure, encompasses network hardware, devices, and software providing fundamental services.
BSNL has awarded contracts worth about Rs 19,000 crore to TCS, Tejas Networks, and government-owned ITI for the deployment of a 4G network that is upgradeable to 5G. Arnob Roy, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tejas Networks, mentioned during an earnings call that BSNL’s mobile network deployment spans various zones. He explained that in areas where the C-DOT core is not yet available, equipment is integrated into the existing core, with plans for integration once the C-DOT core is deployed.
BSNL is actively working on deploying 112,000 towers for 4G and 5G services nationwide. Over 9,000 towers have been installed for 4G service, with more than 6,000 towers already operational in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP West, and Haryana circles. BSNL has been offering 4G-capable SIM cards for the past 4-5 years, with only customers using older SIM cards needing to upgrade to experience the new service, as noted by a BSNL official.
