09 April 2025
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has allocated 5G spectrum valued at INR 610 billion to state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) as part of preparations for the telco's anticipated launch of 5G services later this year. The allocation includes spectrum in the 700 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz bands for 5G use.
Although no official launch date has been announced, BSNL plans to commence its 5G services in Delhi before gradually expanding to other select cities. Minister of State for Communications, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, disclosed in Parliament that BSNL has successfully deployed nearly 84,000 4G base station sites across India, with just over 74,500 currently operational as of March 8. His remarks underscored that the existing 4G infrastructure will support BSNL’s non-standalone 5G launch, as all base stations are designed to be upgradable for 5G.
BSNL has already initiated 4G services in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, by the end of 2024, and aims to provide 4G coverage to all telecom circles by June 2025.
Government officials assured ETTelecom that funding will not hinder BSNL’s 5G rollout, as the government has allocated sufficient financing to support the telco’s capital expenditure needs in the short term, including a INR 60 billion funding package issued in February. Additional funding is expected to be provided as 5G deployments progress.
In addition to its 5G plans, BSNL is set to launch standalone 5G in Delhi across 1,876 sites utilizing the 900 MHz and 3300 MHz bands. However, this project has faced challenges, including requirements for BSNL to use only indigenous equipment for network construction. Furthermore, some vendors have expressed dissatisfaction with the telco’s revenue-sharing model, which allocates at least 70% of revenue to BSNL with the remaining portion going to select vendors.
