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In a significant move advancing India’s digital connectivity goals, the state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has successfully deployed more than 50,000 indigenous 4G sites nationwide, the Ministry of Communications announced. 

The Ministry said that more than 41,000 sites out of the 50,000 installed till October 29, are now operational.

Of these, nearly 36,747 sites were established under Phase IX.2 of the project and 5,000 sites under the 4G Saturation Project funded by the Digital Bharat Nidhi Fund erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).

“These efforts are bolstering BSNL’s goal to deploy over 1,00,000 4G sites, a testament to its swift pace of expansion,” the Ministry said.

The landmark move under the government’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative is in collaboration with a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-led consortium, which was awarded a contract of Rs 24,500 crore to provide 4G equipment for 100,000 new telecom towers in May 2023.

Tejas Networks, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), and ITI are also part of the consortium, which showcases the strength of India’s homegrown technology in fulfilling the country’s connectivity needs.

“Designed, developed, and implemented entirely by Indian companies, BSNL’s 4G network embodies the concept of "Poorn Swadeshi" (completely Indigenous) innovation, ushering in a new era for telecom in India,” the Ministry said.

Earlier this month, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that BSNL is expected to roll out its 4G network nationwide by June 2025 by deploying 1 lakh sites. He noted that the telecom operator will convert them to 5G within a month.

BSNL has also completed trials for its 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and core network across 3.6 GHz and 700 MHz frequency bands. According to the Ministry, BSNL has put on 15,000 air sites till July.