BSNL’s 4G delays stall 5G, despite 60,000 new towers, profit push

BSNL’s delayed 4G rollout has already pushed back its 5G ambitions, deepening the market gap with private operators even as the state-run telco lines up a large new round of network expansion. Years of tender scrapes and the policy decision to back an indigenous 4G stack built by the TCS–Tejas–C-DOT consortium meant BSNL reached commercial 4G years after Jio and Airtel, who had already moved on to nationwide 5G deployment. Because BSNL’s 5G plans ride on upgrading this software-defined 4G network, every slippage in 4G deployment has translated into a later 5G launch window and a widening technology-perception gap among subscribers.

Against this backdrop, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced that BSNL will deploy another 50,000–60,000 mobile towers as part of what he called its biggest-ever capital expenditure drive of about ₹20,000 crore, aimed at building a robust, upgradeable 4G footprint. Scindia said BSNL’s operating profit rose from roughly ₹2,395 crore in FY24 to about ₹5,100 crore in FY25 and is expected to grow in double digits in FY26, with the additional sites expected to lift coverage and usage.

Yet, BSNL continues to operate with a single-digit wireless market share, while Jio and Airtel together command the bulk of India’s subscribers, turning the market effectively into a two-player high-speed data duopoly. The company now faces a race to convert tower additions and its homegrown 4G platform into a credible 5G offering before the gap in network quality and services becomes irreversible.

CT Bureau