BSNL to deploy 5G by next year, says telecom minister

NEW DELHI: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will upgrade its fourth generation or 4G to next generation (5G) services using indigenously-developed core network by next year, making the state-run company, a powerful entity in the sector, telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

“The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) is making progress in the 5G non-standalone (NSA) core network that will be ready by the end of August, and by December field tests will be completed. By next year, Indian 5G stack will be ready to deploy including in BSNL,” Vaishnaw told ETTelecom.

Further, the minister said that the equipment for 1 lakh sites could be easily available, while the ongoing commercial discussions with the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-backed consortium are at a final stage.