BSNL has achieved a milestone in expanding 4G infrastructure, deploying over 50,000 4G sites across India as of October 2024.
Out of the 50,000 sites, 41,000 are now active, with 36,747 sites established under Phase IX.2 and 5,000 under the 4G Saturation Project funded by the Digital Bharat Nidhi Fund.
The deployment was executed by a consortium led by IT service provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with Tejas Networks, C-DOT, and ITI. TCS received a Rs 24,500 crore contract in May 2023 to supply equipment for 100,000 new sites.
BSNL aims to reach 100,000 4G sites by June 2025, transitioning these to 5G within a month of deployment.
BSNL has trialed its 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) across 3.6 GHz and 700 MHz frequencies, with 15,000 air sites activated as of July.
