Indian telco BSNL will soon launch 4G using this locally developed stack
India’s Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has expressed interest in the US’s locally developed 4G and 5G technology stacks, a local newspaper reported.
The 4G/5G stack was fully developed by Indian IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and state-run telecommunications research institute Center for Development of Telematics (CDoT).
National telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is currently deploying the 4G stack at 100,000 locations across the country. Earlier this week, BSNL placed an order for infrastructure equipment and software worth $1.83 billion from TCS.
The provision of this telecom equipment will put BSNL in a position to fully launch 4G network across India. Earlier this month, the group of ministers approved BSNL’s proof of concept using a proprietary technology stack by the TCS consortium and authorized the issuance of a purchase order to the company.
As part of the 4G pilot, BSNL has deployed 200 sites across three districts of Punjab – Ferozepur, Pathankot and Amritsar. BSNL offers 4G services over the 2.1 GHz spectrum band. As per earlier reports, BSNL expects to cover the entire telecom industry in India with 4G services by the end of the next financial year ending in March 2024.
Vaishnault had earlier said that India is in talks with 18 countries around the world to implement the 4G-5G technology stack. The official confirmed that the stack will be exported once the ongoing tests being conducted by BSNL are completed.
Vaishnault also said that BSNL’s locally developed 4G stack will be upgraded to 5G by the end of 2023. “By around November or December next year, with very minor software adjustments, this (BSNL 4G) will become 5G,” he added.
Vaishnau said since the launch of 5G on October 1, 5G technology has been deployed in all 28 states and eight union territories across India. “The 5G rollout is one of the fastest in the world, with one site installed every minute,” Vaishnau said.
Currently, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm are offering 5G networks in all major cities across the country. Jio offers 5G standalone technology (SA), whereas Airtel has opted for Non-Standalone 5G technology (NSA).
Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that Vodafone Idea is in the final stages of negotiations with banks to secure key funding for the launch of 5G network infrastructure in the country.
