State-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has marked its 25th anniversary with the launch of India’s first indigenous 4G (5G-ready) network, inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
National Rollout of Swadeshi 4G
BSNL announced that nearly 98,000 indigenous 4G towers have been commissioned across the country, connecting both remote villages and major cities. The initiative is fully powered by Indian technology:
- Core Network: Developed by C-DOT
- Radio Access Network (RAN): Built by Tejas Networks
- Integration: Managed by TCS
This development ends decades of dependence on foreign telecom vendors. Built within 22 months, the Swadeshi 4G stack demonstrates India’s resilience, innovation, and supply-chain independence. With this achievement, India joins a select group of five nations capable of deploying a fully homegrown 4G network.
Features of the Indigenous 4G Stack
- End-to-end Indian ecosystem: Core (C-DOT), RAN (Tejas), and domestic integration.
- Cloud-native design: Software-first architecture, enabling scalability and rapid upgrades.
- 5G readiness: Infrastructure designed for seamless migration to 5G without major hardware replacements.
Benefits and National Impact
- Strategic autonomy: Strengthens digital sovereignty and national security by reducing reliance on foreign systems.
- Employment growth: Indigenous production is generating jobs and building a skilled domestic workforce.
- Export potential: Several countries have expressed interest in India’s indigenous 4G stack.
- Expanding reach: Over 92,000 sites are now live, providing connectivity to 22 million people, including 2 million first-time internet users.
- High efficiency: The network manages 4 petabytes of data traffic daily with reliability and security.
- Financial turnaround: BSNL has posted consecutive profitable quarters for the first time in 17 years, signaling renewed confidence in indigenous telecom solutions.
Empowering Citizens
BSNL’s rollout is expected to significantly benefit underserved areas:
- Education: Enables online learning in rural regions.
- Agriculture: Farmers can check crop prices and weather conditions digitally.
- Healthcare: Telemedicine and remote consultations become more accessible.
- Defense: Improves secure communication for armed forces.
India’s 5G Deployment
India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest globally:
- Launch date: October 1, 2022.
- Coverage: 2,00,000 sites installed in 700 districts within 8 months.
- Nationwide presence: Services expanded to all 28 states and 8 Union Territories.
- Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs): 4.86 lakh installed by June 30, 2025.
5G Use Cases
- Agriculture: Precision farming through IoT and AI.
- Healthcare: Real-time diagnostics and telemedicine.
- Education: AR/VR-enabled classrooms.
- Industry 4.0: Automation and robotics in smart factories.
- Smart Cities: Intelligent transport and energy systems.
- Transport: Connected vehicles and road safety improvements.
- Media: Enhanced streaming and immersive gaming.
Stepping Toward 6G
India’s progress in 4G and 5G lays the foundation for the Bharat 6G Mission, with global deployment expected by 2030.
Key Government Initiatives
- Bharat 6G Alliance: Collaboration between industry, academia, and research bodies.
- 100 5G/6G labs: Set up to foster innovation and skill-building.
- Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF): ₹275.88 crore approved for 104 projects by July 2025.
- International cooperation: MoUs signed with global 6G alliances.
- Innovation hubs: IIIT Bangalore leading research in O-RAN Massive MIMO and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces.
Global Context
- ITU (2024): 5.5 billion people—68% of the world’s population—are online.
- India’s role: Accounted for over half of global 5G coverage growth, now reaching 80% of its population.
- GSMA Index (2025): India’s 5G data traffic tripled in 2024, representing 36% of total mobile traffic (up from 15% in 2023).
Conclusion
BSNL’s Swadeshi 4G (5G-ready) Network marks a pivotal step in India’s digital transformation. By combining homegrown technology with rapid deployment, the initiative has expanded connectivity, created employment, and strengthened domestic telecom capabilities.
Alongside the ongoing 5G rollout and the Bharat 6G Vision, India is positioning itself as a global leader in next-generation telecommunications. These developments pave the way toward Viksit Bharat 2047, ensuring India builds a self-reliant digital ecosystem while enabling global collaboration in advanced telecom technologies.