For those of us in a major city with fiber-optic cables under our streets, buffering video is pure pain. But for millions in India’s hinterlands, a steady signal remains a luxury. This is the gap Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is racing to bridge. In the press release, this line stood out: The same month saw the state-run telecom giant completing “10,000 new 4G sites in one single month due to a huge improvement in infrastructure push.” This is not just an upgrade for better phone calls. It is about creating the infrastructure that will someday let their digital freeway support 5G under heavy traffic.
The 10,000 Tower Sprint
To grasp this achievement, imagine constructing a small town’s worth of infrastructure every few weeks. All 10,000 of these sites are complex. They have radio antennas, baseband units, and power backups. Sometimes, they are built in remote terrain that private players find unprofitable. An ambitious target for BSNL would be 1 lakh (100,000) sites. This month, crossing 10,000 proves the concept. It shows the sleeping giant of Indian telecom is finally stirring.
For years, BSNL had fallen behind private operators like Jio and Airtel as they sped ahead with 4G and 5G deployments. BSNL users were often stuck on old 3G networks. This rapid rollout is a scramble to catch up, but with a twist. “They’re not just installing old tech; they’re connecting ‘upgradable’ tech.”
The Magic of the Indigenous Stack
This is where the tech gets interesting. BSNL is using an ‘indigenous 4G stack’. In other words, this technology—including hardware and the network’s software—is designed and made in India. It is not imported from global giants like Nokia or Ericsson. This matches the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) vision.
The real genius of this stack is its fluidity. Traditionally, upgrading meant tearing out hardware and swapping out boxes in the tower. BSNL’s new infrastructure is software-defined. It’s like a Tesla—you can make it faster with a software update. These towers are equipped for 4G but can be upgraded to 5G through software, not hardware replacements. This ‘rapid 5G software upgrade’ means BSNL, late to 4G, may show up at the 5G afterparty sooner than expected.
Why This Matters for the Consumer
For the ultimate consumer, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, this is a game-changer. Saturated 4G availability means access to digital payments and online education. It enables telemedicine in places where it was previously only an idea. The ‘saturation project’ aims to fill in every blind spot on the map.
However, challenges remain. First, install the tower. Then, ensure a reliable power supply and maintain the optical fiber backhaul. These cables connect towers to the internet backbone, creating logistical nightmares. Yet, the momentum is undeniable.
The Road Ahead
As 5G migration approaches, BSNL is attempting a generational leap. They’re betting on a 4G network that can also be called a ‘5G network in waiting.’ If they reach the 1 lakh site goal, Indian telecom could transform. It would shift from a duopoly to a three-way fight for our dollars. This can lead to lower prices and better service for everyone. It is a massive engineering effort. For now, green lights are flashing nationwide, one tower at a time.
