BSNL users, who have long been waiting for 4G, will soon be able to enjoy the benefits of 5G service. Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia recently revealed the launch date for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's 5G service. During an event held on Monday, October 14, the Union Minister stated that the preparations for BSNL's 5G service have been completed. The government-owned telecom company is in the process of installing thousands of mobile towers to upgrade the network infrastructure across the country.
According to Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the company is on track to launch the 5G network by June 2025. Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum ITUWTSA, he emphasised that India has been following the world's footsteps in 4G, is progressing alongside the global advancements in 5G, and aims to lead the world in 6G technology.
Furthermore, Minister Scindia highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed a clear directive that the government-owned company will not utilise equipment from any other source. He mentioned, "Now we have a main and a radio access network, which is fully functional. We have a plan to have one lakh sites by April-May next year. We have started 38,300 sites till yesterday." He also added, "We are going to start our own 4G network, which will transition to 5G by June 2025. We will be the sixth country in the world to do so." It is noteworthy that state-owned BSNL is implementing 4G technology developed by a consortium of C-DOT and domestic IT company TCS.
Minister Scindia also pointed out that India has implemented 5G technology at a rapid pace, with the installation of 4.5 lakh towers in 22 months, making the service available to 80 percent of the country's population. BSNL plans to install 1 lakh new towers for 4G/5G service, with a target of 75 thousand towers to be installed by the end of this year. The central government has allocated a substantial budget in this year's budget to revive the government telecom company BSNL, indicating a significant commitment to the development of 5G infrastructure in the country.
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