Bhubaneswar: State-owned BSNL will start 5G services by April 2024, Union Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.
BSNL has shortlisted a TCS and C-DOT-led consortium for rolling out the 4G network, which will be upgraded to 5G in about a year of placing the order under the contract.
“BSNL 5G services will be available from March or April 2024. It is progressing very fast. In 2023, we will see rapid roll out of 4G and 5G in 2024,” Vaishnaw said while speaking to reporters here.
He was speaking on the sidelines of an event to launch the 5G services of Jio and Airtel in Odisha. Vaishnaw along with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the services.
“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.
“It has just been three months of 5G launch and we are seeing the fastest rollout of 5G networks in India,” the minister said.
Vaishnaw said that the Modi government has allocated Rs 5,600 crore for strengthening the telecom connectivity in the state.
EASTMOJO PREMIUM
Help sustain honest journalism.
“100 towers for 4G services covering 100 villages in Odisha have been launched today,” he said.
The minister said that the Centre plans to install 5,500 mobile towers for 4G services across all 7,500 villages in the state by August 15, 2024.
Also read | Explained: Foreign universities setting up campuses in India