Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is going to come out with 4G networks very soon. The state-run telco has said that in Pune, the 4G networks are likely going to be launched by the end of the year 2022. This was shared by the official handle of BSNL India (@BSNLCorporate) when a certain user asked about the status of BSNL’s 4G networks coming to Pune, Maharashtra. It is the same time frame when BSNL is expected to launch 4G networks in the South Indian state of Kerala. The state-run telco will conduct 4G network tests from August in four districts of Kerala and then aim for a state-wide launch by December 2022.
Will Every City/State Get BSNL 4G by Year-End?
BSNL is currently waiting for the vendor to fulfil the order for 40W radios to be deployed in 6000 sites across the country. The longer this will take, the more it will lead to a delay in the launch of BSNL’s 4G networks. It is most likely that BSNL will only be able to launch 4G in different states and cities of the country by the year-end. By then, maybe some of the private telcos would have launched 5G networks. But the good thing is that BSNL has also worked on 5G NSA (non-standalone) with the C-DoT (Centre for Development of Telematics). So there’s a possibility that BSNL can fast upgrade the 4G sites to 5G NSA. For the unaware, 5G NSA doesn’t require a 5G core. It can be deployed over the 4G core and is less expensive than 5G SA. With 5G NSA, the aim is mostly to deliver enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB). For now, since Pune and Kerala are expected to get the live 4G networks of BSNL later in the year, it might be the same case for other cities and states as well. It is worth noting that BSNL already offers 4G VoLTE services in some parts of the country, but not everywhere.
