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State-owned telecom company BSNL is gearing up to deliver a major breakthrough in India’s telecom sector by rolling out a 4G network across the country, which can be upgraded to 5G. The company is collaborating with Tata Group’s Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to achieve this ambitious goal. It is expected that BSNL’s 4G network will be fully deployed by May 2025.
BSNL is preparing to make a significant move in the telecom market by deploying its 4G network, with TCS serving as its strategic partner. According to media reports, after identifying BSNL’s sites and frequency ranges, the network will be upgraded to 5G. TCS has been appointed as an advisor for this initiative and stated that TCS radio equipment integrated into BSNL’s network can be upgraded to 5G via software enhancements.
The core network, developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), already supports 5G in a non-standalone (NSA) mode. BSNL holds spectrum licenses in 700 MHz, 900 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2500 MHz, and 3500 MHz frequency bands. A consortium led by TCS, which includes C-DoT and Tata Group’s Tejas Networks, is tasked with implementing the 4G network across 100,000 sites nationwide. So far, BSNL has activated 65,000 sites.
Tejas Networks, in which Tata Sons holds a 54% stake, plays a key role in manufacturing telecom equipment for the project.
According to a Navbharat Times report, Subramanian, President of Tejas Networks, stated that the company will hand over sites to BSNL upon completion of installation, commissioning, and optimization processes. This will continue until the network rollout is finalized. TCS also anticipates receiving follow-on orders from BSNL.
In June 2023, BSNL awarded a contract for telecom equipment procurement for 100,000 sites to TCS and the state-owned ITI Limited for its commercial 4G initiative.
BSNL Chairman Robert J Ravi said that the deployment of 100,000 sites will ensure sufficient coverage across the country. He added that the company has plans to further enhance its capabilities and offer 5G network-as-a-service. Tejas Networks has already initiated work on 1,876 sites in the Delhi circle.
This collaboration between BSNL and Tata Group is set to position the state-owned telecom company as a competitor to private players like Mukesh Ambani’s Jio and Sunil Mittal’s Airtel in India’s evolving telecom market.
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