BSNL 4G Services Likely To Debut Around Independence Day 2022; Can It Still Compete With Private Telcos?

5G services by private telcos in India are under trial. However, the state-backed BSNL is now paving the way for 4G services in the country. To note, BSNL hasn't formally announced 4G services in India yet nor has it completed the 4G deployment. That said, a new report says BSNL 4G launch could take place on Independence Day 2022.

BSNL 4G Launch In India

What's more, BSNL will be joining hands with TCS as its technology partner to rollout 4G services in India. "BSNL will introduce 4G services with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as its technology partner. It will be for the first time that Indian technology will be used for 4G services," Sushil Kumar Mishra, consumer mobility director at BSNL told The Times of India.

He also stated that the 4G services would be available in Delhi and Mumbai initially. Plus, the executive said the company is building 1,00,000 telecom towers across India. "Instead of smart towers, BSNL will begin with monopoles, which are less expensive and more effective," he added. Plus, 40,000 telecom towers will be installed in Bihar alone.

BSNL 4G Launch Around Independence Day

Reports of the BSNL 4G launch have been around for a while now, and this isn't the first time we're hearing of the service launch around Independence Day. Previously, an Economic Times report quoted the minister of state for communication, Devusinh Chauhan, who hinted at a similar timeline for the BSNL 4G service launch.

Back then, the minister stated the BSNL commercial 4G service would begin in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2022-23. The timeline would be possible if the purchase of the network equipment is completed by April 2022. It remains to see how well the BSNL 4G plans run in India.

BSNL 4G Vs Private 5G Trials

BSNL currently has several attractive mobile and broadband plans for users in India. However, 4G trials in the time of 5G is simply outdated. Private players like Airtel and Jio are 4G services for years now, and are equipped for 5G runs in India. Nevertheless, bringing in BSNL 4G services in India would surely help several people, especially in rural and remote areas.