BSNL 4G to be upgraded to 5G in 5 to 7 months, says Vaishnaw

In order for the telecom company to begin the trials for 5G services, BSNL has requested that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)provide equipment for 5G testing.

In 5-7 months, the 1.35 lakh telecom towers held by the State-owned BSNL would have their 4G technology upgraded to 5G, according to Union telecom and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.   The minister stated during a CII event that the government intends to expand the telecom technology development fund from Rs 500 crore annually to Rs 4,000 crore in order to support domestic innovation. background:#EDFAFF">

According to a report by PTI, Uday Kotak CEO of Kotak Bank, asked Vaishnaw about the role of BSNL in the telecom industry.  Vaishnaw responded that BSNL would play a significant stabilising role in the telecom industry.

According to him, BSNL has roughly 1,35,000 mobile towers nationwide, with a significant presence in rural areas that are still not completely serviced by other telecom operators. background:#EDFAFF">

In order for the telecom company to begin the trials for 5G services, BSNL has requested that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)provide equipment for 5G testing.

As stated in the PTI report, “We are taking that model to telecom space. A Telecom Technology Development Fund of Rs 500 crore every year has gotten established. We will be taking that to Rs 3,000-4,000 crore per year. That technology development fund will be available to the entire industry,” Vaishnaw said.

In comparison to the other two major players anda third player, the minister claimed that with the deployment of 5G across the BSNL network, the public sector company will become a significant player in the telecom industry, especially for the remote areas that wouldn't be served by a typical market mechanism.