Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has given Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) a contract worth Rs 550 crore for setting up 6000 4G sites across India. The state-run telco is initially targeting areas of the country which are going to be highly profitable and where the infrastructure is ready. BSNL has plans of installing over 1.12 lakh new 4G sites across India to roll out fast-network connectivity services.
BSNL is Finally on the Way to Roll Out 4G
This is a positive development for the BSNL fans and supporters and also the consumers in the country who will soon get another option apart from the private telcos to choose from. The state-run telco has faced many hurdles in the last few years in rolling out 4G. One of these was to only use equipment and technology that was homegrown. Being restricted to homegrown mediums, BSNL couldn’t launch 4G services earlier. But the state-owned telco was working with TCS and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) for testing homegrown 4G solutions for the last few months. After multiple delays in the proof of concept (PoC) process, the state-run telco has finally completed the trials and given an official contract to TCS, reports Financial Express. There weren’t any experienced local firms or technology partners available in India that could have helped BSNL on the go. Thus, the process took a little longer than many expected. However, going by the words of the officials, BSNL is looking to launch 4G services by August this year. In addition to this, the state-run telco is also eyeing a 5G rollout. BSNL will be the first telco in the country to roll out 4G with homegrown technology PAN-India. It will be interesting to see the strategy BSNL opts for competing with the already established players, including Jio, Airtel, and Vi, in the 4G market of India.
