Union Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Thursday that BSNL will launch 5G services in 2024. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has shortlisted a TCS and C-DOT led consortium for rolling out 4G network, which will be upgraded to 5G in about a year of placing the order under the contract.
“BSNL will start 5G services in 2024,” Vaishnaw said while speaking to reporters, which PTI reported.
Ashwini Vaishnaw was speaking on the sidelines of an event to launch 5G services of Jio and Airtel in Odisha. The 5G services of both the companies were unveiled by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Vaishnaw at an event. In a release, Reliance Jio said that Jio 5G network will expand rapidly across the state, covering the cities of Rourkela, Berhampur, Puri, Sambalpur, and Balasore by February 2023, and subsequently reach all tehsils and talukas by December 2023, a Jio spokesperson said in the release.
Vaishnaw said that the Narendra Modi government has sanctioned a total of ₹5,600 crores for telecom services in Odisha in the 2022-23 and 5,000 mobile towers will be installed across the state for world class communication facilities.
“Entire Odisha will be covered by 5G services in 2 years. Today, 5G services have been launched in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack,” the telecom minister said. He had committed to launch 5G services in the state before January 26. Telecom Secretary K Rajaraman said that the government has also dedicated 100 towers for 4G services in rural areas of the state.
