BSNL Plans Next Phase Of 4G Rollout With 1 Lakh More Towers; Cabinet Nod To Be Sought Soon

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is preparing to deploy an additional one lakh 4G mobile towers, following the successful installation of its first one lakh towers this month, according to Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, The New Indian Express reported.

The minister said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will soon approach the Union Cabinet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approval to proceed with the next phase of BSNL's 4G expansion.

“After successfully installing 100,000 towers with optimal 4G equipment, we will approach the Cabinet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve another 100,000 towers,” the minister was quoted as saying by TNIE.

BSNL has opted for indigenously developed 4G equipment, unlike private players like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, which rely on foreign vendors.

The current deployment is being carried out by a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-led consortium involving Tejas Networks, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), and ITI Ltd, under a contract awarded in May 2023.

The deal includes Rs 13,000 crore worth of network gear, components, and a 10-year annual maintenance contract.

Addressing concerns about BSNL's 4G equipment quality, the minister acknowledged initial issues but noted improvements.

“There were some problems with the equipment in the beginning. But now, it’s functioning well. We expect it to operate near perfection by the end of July or August next year,” he said.

“Companies like Nokia and Ericsson have a legacy of 30 to 40 years, while BSNL’s Indian-made equipment is only two to three years old," he said.

"We are doing a lot of optimization and fixes, which will result in a high-quality product,” the minister added.

The minister also said that once the 4G rollout scales further, subscriber retention will improve.

“We currently have only 100,000 4G towers. In comparison, Reliance Jio and Airtel each have more than five to six lakh towers,” he said.