A Date With Data: BSNL To Roll Out 5G, IoT Services In Tie-Up With Japanese Telecom Company NTT And Softbank

State-run telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has signed a pact with Japanese telecom company NTT Telecommunications and Softbank to roll out 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) services in India, PTI has reported.

5G will be the fifth generation of telecommunication networks which will succeed the existing 4G (LTE/WiMax) networks. 5G will involve a higher data rate, lower power consumption and massive device connectivity. Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices embedded with sensors, electronics and actuators to connect and exchange data.

“We have signed an agreement with Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and IoT products and services in India. Under the agreement, we will look at solutions, specially for the smart cities,” BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

The BSNL Chairman added that the company was in the advanced stages of starting 5G field trials. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended an auction of about 8,644 MHz of telecom frequencies. The government is yet to finalise details of allocation of 5G spectrum.