Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is planning to launch 4G services across the country starting this August, leveraging entirely indigenous technology in accordance with the government’s “Atmanirbhar” policy, reported news agency PTI.

During the pilot phase, BSNL officials achieved peak speeds of 40-45 megabits per second on the 4G network, utilising the premium spectrum bands of 700 megahertz (MHz) and 2,100 MHz.

In Punjab, BSNL has already initiated 4G services using technology developed domestically by IT company TCS and a consortium led by state-run telecom research organisation C-DoT, with approximately 800,000 subscribers already onboard.

“The C-DoT core network, implemented in Punjab last July, has performed admirably within just 10 months. Typically, such intricate technology takes 12 months to stabilize. BSNL will introduce Atmanirbhar 4G technology nationwide in August,” a senior government official told PTI.

The core network, described by telecom regulator Trai as a collection of hardware, devices, and software providing essential telecommunication services, is integral to this initiative.

BSNL has awarded contracts worth around Rs 19,000 crore to TCS, Tejas Networks, and government-owned ITI for the deployment of the 4G network, which can be upgraded to 5G in the future.

During a recent earnings call, Tejas Networks Executive Director and COO Arnob Roy highlighted the ongoing deployment of BSNL’s mobile network across various zones, integrating equipment with the existing core where C-DoT core is not yet accessible.

BSNL is currently in the process of setting up 112,000 towers for 4G and 5G services across India.

“The company has already installed over 9,000 towers for 4G services nationwide, with more than 6,000 active in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP West, and Haryana circles,” a BSNL official was quoted in the report.