Following in the footsteps of Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, the government-owned telecom company BSNL is gearing up to launch its 5G services. According to recent announcements by Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, BSNL's 5G rollout could begin as early as June this year. Additionally, BSNL’s CMD, Robert J Ravi, has shared important details regarding where the 5G services will debut.
The first cities to see the launch
According to Ravi, BSNL's 5G service will initially be launched in select cities within the next few months. He stated that the network would first be introduced in Delhi, utilising a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) model, and emphasised that the company aims to expedite the process. Additionally, he mentioned that the rollout would extend to more cities as swiftly as possible.
It's worth noting that BSNL conducted a pilot test of its 5G service in Delhi last year in collaboration with local vendors. The rollout will be jointly managed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the Center for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), which is also engaged in setting up 100,000 new 4G mobile towers for BSNL.
A competitive edge against private companies
CMD Robert J Ravi highlighted that 5G technology is set to benefit both industries and communities, particularly in rural areas. Once the 5G service is launched, BSNL will be better positioned to compete with private telecom operators in terms of connectivity. The government allocated over Rs 80,000 crore in last year’s budget to revitalise BSNL, underscoring its commitment to enhancing the company’s capabilities.
In other news, Han Jong-hee, co-CEO of Samsung Electronics, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 63 due to a heart attack. The company confirmed that he died while undergoing treatment for cardiac arrest at the hospital. Samsung has not yet announced his successor.
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