Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is targeting to launch its 4G services in multiple parts of the country this year. The state-run telco has selected Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as its technology partner for the same. Both the companies are working together to deploy India’s first homegrown 4G network. This will also mark the entry of TCS into the telecom equipment manufacturing business. Sushil Kumar Mishra, Director (Consumer Mobility), BSNL, said the telco would make use of monopoles initially rather than the smart towers for delivering 4G network services in India. This is because monopoles are cost-effective and also work really well.
BSNL to Build 1 Lakh Telecom Towers
BSNL has planned to build 1 lakh telecom towers across India, said Mishra, reports TOI. Out of this, the telco will be eyeing to install over 4000 towers in Bihar alone. Mishra also said that BSNL would be providing 4G services in Mumbai and Delhi too. The state-run telco could launch its 4G networks by the Independence Day of 2022, which is August 15. It is the same timeline that the telecom minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, mentioned about the launch of 4G networks of BSNL. Vaishnaw had said that BSNL will be making 4G equipment orders by April this year and will also 4G networks by August or September 2022. Right now, BSNL is working with C-DoT (Centre for Development of Telematics) and TCS to conduct the 4G trials. The trials were supposed to finish by February 15, 2022, but no news has arrived on that front yet. Since it is February 21 already, it is safe to assume that the companies haven’t been able to get success yet. The Indian government wanted BSNL to launch homegrown 4G instead of what the private operators did by partnering with foreign equipment manufacturers. This will also help BSNL with building a foundation to launch homegrown 5G networks.
