BSNL To Launch 4G Services In December

State-owned telecom service provider BSNL announced its plans to launch 4G service in the December. The company then plans to rollout it out across the country in June next year, Chairman and Managing Director P K Purwar said on Saturday. 

Speaking with a media house at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023, Purwar said that the company plans to upgrade 4G service to 5G after June.

"BSNL 4G service is ready for launch in Punjab in December. We have already done the hardening required for a network with 200 sites. We are in the process of installing 3,000 sites in Punjab," Purwar said.

He further said BSNL plans to ramp up its network deployment, with a goal of reaching 6,000 sites per month and eventually increasing that number to 9,000, 12,000 and 15,000 sites per month.

According to Purwar, the state-owned telecom operator plans to roll-out 4G services by June 2024 and will upgrade to 5G.

IT firm TCS and government-owned ITI have secured contracts worth approximately Rs 19,000 crore from BSNL for the deployment of its 4G network, which can be upgraded to support 5G technology in the future.

Purwar expressed confidence that BSNL possesses sufficient spectrum resources to facilitate the launch of 5G services once the 4G roll-out is completed.