According to telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) would upgrade its fourth generation (4G) to future generation (5G) services by next year using a core network that was constructed domestically.
Deploying it By Next Year
As per the sources, Vaishnaw said that the 5G non-standalone (NSA) core network is being developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), and it will be available by the end of August. Field tests will be finished by the end of December. India will have a ready-to-deploy 5G stack by the end of the year, including in BSNL.
Further, the minister said that while current business negotiations with the consortium supported by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are nearing their conclusion, the equipment for 1 lakh sites may be readily available.
Vaishnaw also said that BSNL is becoming a “strong” telecom service provider and the telco’s spectrum might be utilized to create captive or private networks. In the meantime, BSNL has recently asked the Tata Group firm for pricing quotes and a plan of action to upgrade the network to 5G.
Implementing the proof-of-concept (PoC) in Ambala and Chandigarh, BSNL has picked Mumbai-based TCS and its partners, including C-DoT, to supply radio and core network equipment. Early this year, as part of the public sector company’s ambitions, to deploy 1.12 lakh sites across the nation for the rollout of commercial 4G network services, BSNL granted TCS a contract for Rs 550 crore for the creation of 6,000 sites.
While it currently has 40 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band reserved for it, the public sector telco has requested 30 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band as well as 5 MHz in the 700 MHz band. However, in light of private sector competitors like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea who are anticipated to launch 5G networks by the end of this year, it is crucial for the state-driven telco to swiftly upgrade its soon-to-launch 4G network to 5G.
Anupam Shrivastava, the former chairman, of BSNL, said that the BSNL is now poised to expand. It has already completed the purchase of 4G SIM cards. With proprietary 4G technology created by TCS-Tejas and based on SDN (software-defined network) architecture, BSNL has plans in place for a speedy rollout of 4G. This indicates that it can be implemented quickly.
BSNL: 4G and 5G
Shrivastava further said that every corner of India is covered by the largest optical fiber network, which belongs to BSNL. He thinks it will be able to launch 5G and large-scale 4G on NSA mode by the beginning of the following year. The necessity of the hour is for it to act quickly, particularly when the government is not on their side.
Based on the former official, the government’s second revival package, which includes Rs. 1,64,000 crores, has many positive effects and should concentrate on the sale of 4G mobile SIM cards and strategic alliances.
The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, agreed last week on a Rs 1.64 lakh crore rescue plan for the struggling state-owned telecom provider and authorized the merger of Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and BSNL.
About the Company
BBNL was established in 2012 as a special purpose company (SPV) to build the BharatNet national fiber-based communications network.
The Center approved a Rs 68,751 crore rescue package for the losing BSNL in October 2019 that includes the allocation of the 4G spectrum, the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS), and asset monetization. More than 78,000 BSNL employees, or nearly 50% of the workforce, chose to participate in VRS, which enabled the telecom to reduce wage outlays.
Following the cancellation of procurement in 2020 due to complaints about onerous criteria from domestic companies, BSNL issued a new Expression of Interest (EoI) that allowed domestic companies to showcase their technological prowess.
Read More: Top 10 Courier Delivery Services in India in 2022
