BSNL To Launch 5G Network In India By August Next Year, Says IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) would be launching its 5G services in India by August 2023.

India would have three private telecom players and one public telecom operator in the 5G arena.

State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) would be launching its 5G services in India by August 2023, according to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The IT Minister made the announcement on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress 2022 (IMC). The announcement comes after the country's major telecom operator Bharti Airtel has already launched 5G services, starting with 8 major cities. Top telco Reliance Jio has also promised to bring 5G to every Indian by December 2023.

According to Vaishnaw, the country would have three private telecom players and one public telecom operator in the 5G arena. He also mentioned that 5G plans would be affordable for consumers.

BSNL yet to launch 4G network in India

It should be noted that state-owned telecom firm BSNL still doesn't have 4G services in the country. BSNL would start rolling out 4G network from November onwards and gradually upgrade it to 5G by August next year, a top company official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The company is in discussion with IT major TCS and State-run telecom research and development organisation C-DOT-led consortium to deploy indigenously developed 4G technology in the network.

What Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio said about 5G services in India

To recall, telecom major Bharti Airtel on October 1 confirmed at the sixth edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022 that it is launching its 5G services in the country, starting with select cities. The telecom major has confirmed that it will roll out 5G in eight cities starting October 1. Airtel has launched 5G telecom services in eight cities, which also includes four metro cities today and the rollout of services would cover the entire country by March 2024, company chairperson Sunil Bharti Mittal had said at the IMC 2022 in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Telecom operator Reliance Jio had also said that it would bring 5G to the entire country, including rural areas by December 2023. Chairperson of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani had said at the sixth edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022: “I make a promise to deliver 5G to every town, every taluka by December 2023."

Ambani mentioned that 5G is much more than the next generation, and called it the foundational technology to unlock other technologies such as AI, AR/VR, blockchain and metaverse.