Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced a new facility for its users in India. The state-owned company has rolled out a new 4G and 5G-ready over-the-air (OTA) and Universal SIM (USIM) platform. This latest move will improve the telecom operator’s service quality and connectivity. It will also allow users to swap their SIM cards without regional restrictions. Here are all the details you need to know.
BSNL 4G, 5G-Ready OTA Platform
The BSNL 4G, 5G-Ready OTA Platform was developed in collaboration with Pyro Holdings, a telecommunications development firm. BSNL inaugurated the platform in Chandigarh with a disaster recovery site in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. The platform aims to enhance the telecommunications services and network capabilities of BSNL for its users across India. It promises faster network speeds, and improved coverage, and facilitates ease of number portability and SIM card replacement without geographical restrictions.
Ravi A. Robert Jerard, Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL, stated, “This platform will be immensely useful for customers seeking SIM replacement without geographical restrictions, aiding in modification of SIM profile and remote file management on SIM cards.”
The platform is designed to support both 4G and 5G networks in India. BSNL aims to roll out 5G within six to eight months of achieving its March 2025 4G rollout target. The platform is expected to help bridge the digital divide in rural and remote areas and aligns with the Government of India's “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative.
BSNL 4G, 5G rollout timeline
BSNL plans to complete the full-fledged rollout of its 4G services by March 2025, with 15,000 network towers already set up in circles such as Himachal Pradesh and UP West. It aims to increase this number to 80,000 towers by October of this year. Additionally, the cloud-based 4G core technology currently powering its network is said to have the potential to support 5G services in the future.
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