Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s state-run telecom operator, has achieved a significant milestone with 39,000 4G sites now operational across the country. The company is targeting a total of 1,00,000 4G sites by early to mid-2025. The rollout is being led by a consortium headed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), along with Tejas Networks and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
Progress of 4G Site Deployment
N Ganapathy Subramaniam, Advisor for Telecom Strategic Initiatives at TCS and Chairman of Tejas Networks, revealed that equipment for approximately 58,000 to 59,000 sites has already been delivered. This includes the recent delivery of equipment for 10,000 to 12,000 sites in October alone. Currently, 49,000 sites have been installed, with 38,000 to 39,000 commissioned and operational.
Subramaniam further mentioned that they are installing and commissioning 450 to 500 sites per day, demonstrating rapid progress towards the 1 lakh site target.
BSNL’s 4G Network to Feature 700 MHz Band Connectivity
BSNL’s extensive 4G network will rely on the 700 MHz band for connectivity, a frequency that provides broad coverage, particularly in rural areas. In urban regions, BSNL will use additional bands such as 2100 MHz, 1800 MHz, 850 MHz, and 900 MHz to enhance capacity and coverage. This multi-band strategy is expected to provide better service quality across various parts of India.
While the 700 MHz band is also used by Jio for 5G services, BSNL remains the only operator in India using this band for 4G. However, a limitation of the 700 MHz band is its lower data speeds compared to higher-frequency bands, which may impact overall user experience.
Future Expansion and Industry Insights
Industry experts suggest that even after achieving the 1 lakh site target, further expansion may be necessary to meet the growing demand for high-speed mobile services in India. BSNL’s use of the 700 MHz band is particularly suited for areas requiring broad coverage but may not fully address the speed demands of urban users. As BSNL continues its rollout, additional measures may be required to ensure competitive service offerings in the Indian telecom market.
