Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) indigenously developed 4G stack on Saturday, signalling a major leap in the country's telecom infrastructure.
The launch, which comes at a time when BSNL is celebrating its silver jubilee, marks India's entry into an exclusive group of nations, including Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, and China, that produce their own telecom equipment.
"The launch reflects India's journey from dependence to confidence, driving employment, exports, fiscal revival and advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat," the Prime Minister said.
Also Read | ‘He is not lost’: NATO chief cites PM Narendra Modi’s China visit, stresses strong India ties
Developed entirely using 'swadeshi' (indigenous) technology, the rollout of the 4G network is a transformative step in line with the Prime Minister's vision of a Digital India, bridging the digital divide and empowering rural communities.
What we know about 'swadeshi' 4G network:
- The new cloud-based 'swadeshi' 4G stack is designed to be future-ready and seamless, upgradable to 5G.
- According to officials, this adaptability ensures that BSNL can rapidly roll out next-generation services across the country, furthering India's ambitions under the Digital India initiative.
- Over 26,700 unconnected villages, including 2,472 in Odisha, in remote, border and left-wing extremism-affected areas will receive connection with this launch.
- The BSNL towers are spread across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat and Bihar.
- Alongside the 4G stack, the Prime Minister also commissioned over 97,500 mobile towers, including 92,600 4G-enabled sites built at a cost of approximately ₹37,000 crore.
- These new installations are expected to serve over 2 million new subscribers.
- These towers are solar-powered, making them India's largest cluster of green telecom sites and a step forward in sustainable infrastructure.
- This apart, the Prime Minister also unveiled India's 100 per cent 4G saturation network through digital Bharat Nidhi, where 29,000 to 30,000 villages are connected in a mission-mode project.