India’s state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is preparing to launch its highly anticipated 4G services across India starting in August, leveraging entirely indigenous technology as part of the government’s “Atmanirbhar” (self-reliant) initiative, PTI reported citing sources.
The telecom company during the pilot phase, recorded peak speeds of 40-45 megabits per second on the 4G network, deployed in the premium spectrum bands of 700 megahertz (MHz) and 2,100 MHz.
BSNL successfully rolled out 4G services in Punjab using indigenously developed technology by a consortium led by IT company TCS and telecom research organisation C-DoT.
With around 8 lahk (just below 1 million) subscribers onboarded, the 4G core developed by C-DoT has performed well, stabilising within a shorter timeframe than anticipated.
An unnamed senior government official shared insights into the progress, stating, “BSNL will launch Atmanirbhar 4G technology across the country in August.”
The core network, a critical component of the telecommunications infrastructure, plays a major role in delivering fundamental services.
BSNL has awarded contracts worth approximately Rs 19,000 crore (around $2 billion) to tech companies such as TCS, Tejas Networks, and ITI for the deployment of 4G networks, with provisions for future upgradation to 5G capabilities.
With a vision to enhance connectivity nationwide, BSNL is planning to deploy 1.12 lakh towers (over 100,000) for 4G and 5G services across India.
According to PTI, BSNL has already installed over 9,000 towers for 4G services, with a major portion operational in regions such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP West, and Haryana.
Customers equipped with 4G-capable SIM cards will seamlessly transition to the enhanced services, while those with older SIM cards will need to upgrade to experience the full spectrum of benefits.
(With inputs from PTI)
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