In Short:
India’s telecom sector is strong, featuring four major players and leading the world in 5G rollout, according to Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. He noted significant investments of around ₹4.26 lakh crore over two years to enhance services. New quality benchmarks will be set for better performance. Additionally, 7,101 new 4G towers have been installed to improve rural connectivity. Prices remain among the lowest globally.
New Delhi: The Indian telecom sector is characterized by strong competition, with four key players and a remarkable achievement in achieving the fastest 5G rollout globally. Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Telecom Minister, emphasized on Monday the ongoing effort to enhance the quality of services (QoS) within the industry.
Scindia noted, “There are very few countries in the world that maintain a telecom sector with four players; India is one of them. I perceive a strong future for our telecom sector.” This statement was made during a media interaction focusing on the 100-days programme objectives of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
He highlighted that the resilience of the telecom sector has enabled India to achieve an unprecedented rollout of 5G technology, with approximately Rs 4.26 lakh crore invested in capital expenditure over the past two years. Scindia expressed confidence that BSNL would also play a pivotal role in this promising landscape.
Looking ahead, Scindia assured that efforts would be made to further strengthen QoS norms through more meticulous monitoring. Benchmarks for critical network parameters such as network availability, call drop rates, and packet drop rates will gradually be made more stringent to enhance overall telecom network performance.
Despite recent tariff increases, the Minister indicated that pricing in India continues to be among the most affordable globally. Regarding potential tariff hikes by BSNL, he stated that the company would have to formulate its own strategies to improve cost efficiencies and attract customers.
On the topic of expanding 4G coverage in underserved villages, Scindia reported that a total of 7,101 4G mobile towers have been established by various telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and BSNL, as part of various Digital Bharat Nidhi funded initiatives. Out of these, 2,618 towers have been operational since June 2024.
Scindia concluded by reaffirming that India is on track for a record-setting 5G deployment, with 4.5 lakh base tower stations installed so far, covering 97% of cities with 5G technology.
